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LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY-OF  ILLINOIS 

AT  URBANA-CHAMPAIGN 

977.3 
Sm5h 
v.    1 
cop. 2 


T.H.R 


A  HISTORY 


OF 


SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


A  Narrative  Account  of  its  Historical  Progress,  its 
People,  and  its  Principal  Interests 


BY 

George  Washington  Smith,  M.  A. 


VOLUME  I 


ILLUSTRATED 


THE  LEWIS  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 

CHICAGO  AND  NEW  YORK 
1912 


COPYRIGHT,  1912 

BY 
THE  LEWIS  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 


5  n 


V. 


INTRODUCTORY 


The  richest  heritage  which  shall  ever  come  into  our  possession  is  the 
simple  story  of  the  struggles,  the  sacrifices,  and  the  triumphs  of  the 
men  and  women — our  fore-parents — who  planted  in  this  western  wilder- 
ness the  home,  the  school,  the  church,  and  the  state. 

We  shall  never  know  that  story  in  all  its  fullness  and  completeness. 
For  the  noble  men  and  women  who  opened  up  the  way  for  civilization 


SPINNING  WHEEL,  SPOOL  FRAME,  AND  WARPING  BARS 

in  all  this  western  country,  have  long  since  gone  to  their  reward,  and 
they  have  left  meager  accounts  of  all  the  vicissitudes  through  which  they 
passed  when  "wilderness  was  king." 

We  may  never  realize,  fully,  what  it  meant  for  the  men  and  women 
of  a  century  or  more  ago  to  leave  comfortable  homes,  devoted  friends 
and  relatives,  the  associations  of  childhood,  aye,  the  graves  of  their 
dead,  and  take  up  their  weary  march  over  mountains,  across  streams, 
through  trackless  forests,  to  plant  new  homes  in  a  wilderness  inhabited 
by  wild  beasts  and  wilder  men. 

It  is  the  purpose  of  this  little  volume  to  reveal  a  portion  of  that 
story  to  our  people,  and  especially  to  the  boys  and  girls  while  they  are 
yet  free  from  the  cares  of  the  graver  responsibilities  of  life.  If  these 
young  people  shall  ever  come  into  possession  of  their  inheritance,  we 
may  not  fear  for  the  future  of  our  homes  nor  for  the  destiny  of  the 
state. 

The  tendency  of  those  who  gather  up  the  history  of  a  state  or  of  a 
nation  is  to  put  much  stress  upon  the  political  movements  and  greatly 
to  neglect  the  other  phases  of  a  people's  life.  As  individuals  and  as  a 

iii 


IV 


INTRODUCTORY 


people  we  do  not  have  very  definite  notions  of  the  march  of  progress  in 
the  social  life  of  our  people;  or  of  the  industrial  movement  which  has 
revolutionized  all  kinds  of  labor.  Likewise  we  find  it  difficult  to  formu- 
late definite  notions  of  our  religious  and  educational  advancement. 

But  it  ought  not  so  to  be.  We  ought  to  be  as  deeply  interested  in 
the  unfolding  of  our  industrial  life  as  in  the  evolution  of  our  political 
history.  What  could  be  more  profitable,  and  what  more  charming  than 
the  story  of  the  progressive  steps  by  which  our  home  life  has  moved 
away  from  the  one  room  log  cabin  with  its  chinks  and  daub,  its  puncheon 
floor,  its  open  fireplace,  its  stick  chimney,  its  whitewashed  walls,  and 
its  creaky  door  upon  its  wooden  hinges  ? 

This  story  may  yet  be  preserved,  in  part  at  least,  for  there  are  people 
now  living  in  our  midst  who  remember  the  hand  cards,  the  spinning 
wheel,  the  reel,  the  walking  frame,  the  dull  thud  of  the  loom,  as  hour 
by  hour  the  mother  toiled  in  the  mystery  of  shuttle,  and  sley,  and 


A  HOME-MADE  LOOM  USED  IN  WEAVING  CARPETS 

treadle,  and  harness,  and  warp,  and  woof.  The  oldest  inhabitant  remem- 
bers vividly  the  shaving  horse,  the  shoemaker's  kit,  the  shuck  collar,  the 
wooden  mold-board,  the  chain  traces,  the  broadaxe,  the  sugar  camp, 
the  reap-hook,  the  whipsaw,  the  flail,  and  the  water  gristmill. 

And  we  need  only  to  rummage  the  attic  of  the  old  homestead  to  find 
the  gourd,  the  piggin,  the  powder-horn,  the  bullet-moulds,  the  hackle, 
the  candlestick,  the  swingling  knife,  the  candle-moulds,  the  split  bottomed 
chair,  and  the  cradle. 

And  who  has  not  heard  of  the  campmeeting  with  its  mysterious  con- 
versions, its  powerful  sermons,  its  prolonged  prayers,  its  stories  of  men 
who  came  to  scoff  but  remained  to  pray  ?  Did  you  ever  hear  the  hymns 
lined?  Did  you  ever  hear  the  tune  pitched?  Did  you  know  that  this 
faithful  preacher  had  toiled  hard  all  week  at  farm  work,  and  studied 
his  Bible  at  night  in  order  to  be  able  to  shepherd  his  flock  on  Sunday  ? 
Did  you  know  the  church  finances  were  never  "embarrassed"  in  those 
early  days?  There  are  those  in  nearly  every  neighborhood  who  carry  in 
a  sacred  corner  of  their  memory  the  story  of  the  early  church.  They 


INTRODUCTORY  v 

say  little  about  those  days.    But  they  will  tell  you  quietly  this  beautiful 
story  of  devotion  and  sacrifice. 

And  what  shall  we  say  of  the  pedagogue  of  a  hundred  years  ago? 
He  was  like  the  seasons — he  came  and  went.  He  had  no  settled  home. 
He  taught  his  school  in  some  abandoned  building  and  ' '  boarded  'round. ' ' 
There  were  no  school-book  trusts,  and  no  school-furniture  combines  in 
those  dreamy  days.  There  were  no  county  superintendents  to  refuse 
certificates,  and  no  school  journals  to  furnish  methods  and  devices.  But 
notwithstanding  the  meager  material  equipment  of  the  schools,  and  the 
lack  of  intellectual  preparation  in  the  teacher,  there  was  yet  a  constant 
movement  toward  better  things.  And  if  there  was  a  lack  of  scientific 


A  WHEEL  MORE  THAN  150  YEARS  OLD,  USED  IN  SPINNING  FLAX 

methods  in  the  educational  processes,  there  was  compensation  in  the 
moral  and  spiritual  vigor  instilled  into  the  young  people  of  that  day. 
What  a  charming  thing  it  would  be  to  re-live  this  life  with  grandfather 
and  grandmother!  Who  would  not  enjoy  going  back  to  the  old  home- 
stead even  though  it  be  in  imagination  only. 

To  the  writer  it  has  seemed  not  inappropriate  to  attempt  to  gather 
up  and  put  into  convenient  form  this  simple  story  of  our  wonderful 
growth  and  development.  His 'parents  were  immigrants  in  the  early 
'30 's  and  the  story  of  the  life  of  those  days  as  it  came  from  father  and 
mother  is  a  blessed  memory.  This  traditional  knowledge  has  been  sup- 
plemented by  a  limited  amount  of  original  investigation,  but  the  chief 
reliance  has  been  placed  in  the  published  histories  to  which  the  writer 
has  had  access. 

The  illustrations  have  been  secured  after  much  research  and  at  no 
little  expense,  and  it  is  hoped  they  may  be  found  to  be  of  true  historical 
merit. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  I 
SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  GEOLOGY 

CIVILIZATION  BASED  ON  GEOLOGY — GENERAL  SCIENTIFIC  PHASE — THE 
GEOLOGICAL  ERAS — TABLE  OP  GEOLOGICAL  TIME  DIVISIONS — THE  GLA- 
CIAL PERIOD.  1 

CHAPTER  II 
RESOURCES  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

SOILS  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS — SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  TIMBER — OUR  COAL 
FIELDS — STONE,  OIL  AND  GAS— SALT,  LEAD  AND  CLAY — PRAIRIE  AND 
TIMBER  AREAS  10 

CHAPTER  III 
INDIANS  AND  PREHISTORIC  PEOPLES 

GREAT  INDIAN  FAMILIES — THE  ILLINOIS  INDIANS — GREAT  CHIEFS — EVI- 
DENCES OF  PREHISTORIC  PEOPLES — THE  CAHOKIA  MOUNDS — IMPLE- 
MENTS, POTTERY  AND  PICTOGRAPHS.  23 

CHAPTER  IV 
DISCOVERIES  AND  EXPLORATIONS 

CLAIMANTS  TO  AMERICA — MARQUETTE  AND  JOLJET — THE  TRIUMPHS  AND 
DEATH  OF  LASALLE — His  BRAVE  LIEUTENANT,  TONTI  33 

CHAPTER  V 
PERMANENT  SETTLEMENTS  IN  ILLINOIS 

KASKASKIA    SETTLED — GRANTS    OF    LAND — OTHER    SETTLEMENTS — WAR 
AND  PROGRESS — GOVERNMENT,  CIVIL  AND  RELIGIOUS  49 

vii 


viii  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  VI 
LOUISIANA  AND  ILLINOIS  (1732-1777) 

ILLINOIS  PRIOR  TO  THE  FRENCH  AND  INDIAN  WAR — THE  STRUGGLE  FOR 
THE  OHIO  VALLEY — OLD  FORT  CHARTRES — THE  COMING  OP  THE 
BRITISH — ILLINOIS  UNDER  BRITISH  RULE.  61 

CHAPTER  VII 
CLARK'S  CONQUEST  OF  THE  ILLINOIS  COUNTRY 

CONDITIONS  IN  ILLINOIS — CLARK'S  EXPEDITION  TO  THE  ILLINOIS  COUNTRY 
— PUBLIC  INSTRUCTIONS  TO  GENERAL  CLARK— PRIVATE  INSTRUCTIONS 
— DOWN  THE  RIVER — ACROSS  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS — CAPTURE  OP  KAS- 
KASKIA — COUNTY  OP  ILLINOIS  79 

CHAPTER  VIII 
ILLINOIS  COUNTY  AND  THE  NORTHWEST  TERRITORY 

THE  ROUTE  TO  VINCENNES — CAPTURE  OP  VINCENNES — COMING  OF  JOHN 
TODD — VIRGINIA  CEDES  HER  WESTERN  LANDS — ORDINANCE  OF  1787 
PASSED — GOVERNMENT  ORGANIZED — CONDITIONS  IN  ILLINOIS — LOCAL 
GOVERNMENT.  90 

CHAPTER  IX 
AS  A  PART  OF  INDIANA  TERRITORY 

HARRISON  AND  THE  INDIAN  PROBLEMS — SLAVERY  IN  THE  TERRITORY — ILLI- 
NOIS TERRITORY  ERECTED.  104 

CHAPTER  X 
ILLINOIS   (1809-1812) 

TERRITORY  OP  THE  FIRST  CLASS — WAR  OF  1812 — MATTERS  OF  LOCAL  IN- 
TEREST— ILLINOIS  A  SECOND  CLASS  TERRITORY — A  RETROSPECT.  109 

CHAPTER  XI 
APPROACHING  STATEHOOD 

NEW  COUNTIES — BANKS  AND  BANKING — IMMIGRATION — FIFTEEN  COUN- 
TIES UP  TO  1818 — NATHANIEL  POPE  ELECTED  TO  CONGRESS  124 


CONTENTS  ix 

CHAPTER  XII 
ILLINOIS  BECOMES  A  STATE 

SERVICES  OP  NATHANIEL  POPE — THE  CONSTITUTIONAL  CONVENTION — 
THE  CONSTITUTION  OP  1818  129 

CHAPTER  XIII 
ILLINOIS  UNDER  GOVERNOR  BOND 

STARTING  THE  NEW  MACHINERY — ILLINOIS'  BLACK  CODE — IN  THE  NEW 
CAPITAL — ATTEMPTED  FINANCIAL  RELIEF — MILITARY  TRACT — THE 
ENGLISH  PRAIRIE  SETTLEMENT — GOVERNOR  BOND  RETURNS  TO  His 
FARM  136 

CHAPTER  XIV 
ADMINISTRATION  OF  GOVERNOR  COLES 

A  MAN  WITH  CONVICTIONS — THE  SLAVERY  ISSUE — A  BITTER  CAMPAIGN 
— THE  RESULT — THE  SANGAMON  COUNTRY — A  DISTINGUISHED  VISITOR 
—THE  ELECTIONS  OP  1826  148 

CHAPTER  XV 
NINIAN  EDWARDS,  GOVERNOR  OF  ILLINOIS 

THE  STATE  BANK — AN  INTERESTING  DOCTRINE — SCHOOL  LEGISLATION 
— THE  WINNEBAGO  WAR.  166 

i "  ;  '  - 

CHAPTER  XVI 
EXPANSION 

KASKASKIA  AND  CAHOKIA — MILITARY  BOUNTY  LANDS — PEORIA  AND  GAL- 
ENA— RELIGIOUS  ORGANIZATIONS — PRESBYTERIANISM — MISSIONARIES — 
METHODISM — THE  BAPTISTS.  172 

CHAPTER  XVII 
AN  IMPORTANT   STATE   PERIOD 

How  GOVERNOR  REYNOLDS  WAS  ELECTED — THE  INAUGURAL  ADDRESS — 

VDEEP  SNOW  OP  1830-1 — THE  BLACK  HAWK  WAR — CALL  TO  ARMS— 

THE  END — SECOND  HALF  OF  ADMINISTRATION.  180 


x  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  XVIII 
ADMINISTRATION  OF  GOVERNOR  JOSEPH  DUNCAN 

ELECTION  AS  GOVERNOR — BANKING  LEGISLATION  RECOMMENDED — UNITED 
STATES  AND  STATE  BANKS — REDEMPTION  EXTENSION — SUSPENSION 
OF  SPECIE  PAYMENTS — STATE  BANK  IN  LIQUIDATION — INTERNAL 
IMPROVEMENTS — RECOMMENDATIONS — BILL  PASSED  OVER  GOVERNOR'S 
VETO — CAPITAL  REMOVED  TO  SPRINGFIELD — ALSO  PASSED  OVER 
COUNCIL'S  VETO.  193 

CHAPTER  XIX 
MARTYRDOM  OF  LOVEJOY 

SLAVERY  IN  STATE  AND  NATIONAL  POLITICS — AGITATION  BY  ABOLITION- 
ISTS AND  NEWSPAPERS — A  MORAL  HERO — LOVEJOY  BECOMES  AN  EDI- 
TOR— CONSTITUTIONAL  RIGHT — "OBSERVER"  MOVED  TO  ALTON — MOB 
DESTROYS  PRESSES — LOVEJOY  A  MARTYR  207 

CHAPTER  XX 
ILLINOIS  FROM  1838  TO  1846 

THOMAS  CARLIN  ELECTED  GOVERNOR — "TIPPECANOE  AND  TYLER  Too" — 
INTERNAL  IMPROVEMENT  SCHEMES  COLLAPSE — GOVERNOR  THOMAS 
FORD — ILLINOIS  AND  MICHIGAN  CANAL  PROGRESSES — SOME  SOCIAL 
PROBLEMS.  219 

CHAPTER  XXI 
ADMINISTRATION  OF  AUGUSTUS  C.  FRENCH 

THE  MEXICAN  WAR — THE  MORMONS — CONSTITUTION  OF  1848 — THE  ILLI- 
NOIS CENTRAL  RAILROAD — A  NEW  BANKING  SYSTEM.  228 

CHAPTER  XXII 
GOVERNOR  JOEL  A.  MATTESON 

UNDER  THE  NEW  CONSTITUTION — MATTESON  ELECTED  GOVERNOR — ILLI- 
NOIS CENTRAL  BUILT — SLAVERY  AGITATION — CANAL  SCRIP  FRAUD — 
STATE  AND  NATIONAL  POLITICS.  246 


CHAPTER  XXIII 
PERIOD    OF    POLITICAL    UNREST 

ILLINOIS'  FIRST  REPUBLICAN  GOVERNOR — OFFICIAL  OATH  AGAINST 
DUELLING — SOME  MATTERS  OF  LOCAL  INTEREST — POLITICAL  SITUA- 
TION IN  SOUTHERN  ILLINIOS  IN  1858 — WHEN  DOUGLAS  CAME  TO 
CAIRO — LINCOLN  IN  ANNA  AND  JONESBORO.  253 


CONTENTS  xi 

CHAPTER  XXIV 

LINCOLN-DOUGLAS  DEBATE  AT  JONESBORO 

MR.  DOUGLAS'S  SPEECH — MR.  LINCOLN'S  REPLY — MR.  DOUGLAS'S  REPLY. 

267 

CHAPTER  XXV 
ON  THE  EVE  OP  THE  GREAT  CONFLICT 

THE  ELECTION  OP  1858 — DOUGLAS  AT  BENTON — POLITICAL  MEETINGS 
AT  CENTRALIA — LAST  DEBATE  AT  ALTON — THE  CAMPAIGN  OF  1860 
— A  SON  OP  ILLINOIS.  300 

CHAPTER  XXVI 
"WAR  HISTORY  (1861-1898) 

POLITICS  IN  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS — PRESIDENTIAL  VOTE  (1860)  IN  LOGAN'S 
DISTRICT — STATE  CONVENTIONS  AND  ASSEMBLIES — KNIGHTS  OP  THE 
GOLDEN  CIRCLE — "THE  AMERICAN  BASTILE" — SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 
IN  CAMP  AND  BATTLE — THREE  YEARS'  SERVICE — ONE  HUNDRED 
DAYS'  SERVICE — THE  ALTON  BATTALION — ONE  YEAR  SERVICE — CAV- 
ALRY SERVICE — SPANISH- AMERICAN  WAR — THE  FOURTH  ILLINOIS  IN- 
FANTRY— EIGHTH  ILLINOIS  INFANTRY — NINTH  ILLINOIS  INFANTRY  314 

CHAPTER  XXVII 
THE  RETURN  OF  PEACE 

A  REUNITED  PEOPLE — ECONOMIC  ADVANCEMENT — POLITICAL  AND  CON- 
STITUTIONAL CHANGES — CONSTITUTION  OP  1870 — ELECTIONS  OP  THE 
SEVENTIES — RAILROAD  STRIKE  OF  1870 — THE  EIGHTIES  AND  NINETIES 
— THE  WORLD'S  FAIR — FROM  ALTGELD  TO  DENEEN.  336 

CHAPTER  XXVIII 
JOURNALISM 

FIRST  ILLINOIS  NEWSPAPERS — SLAVERY  QUESTION  STIMULATES  JOURNAL- 
ISM— UNCERTAINTIES  OF  PIONEER  JOURNALISM — ABLE  OLD-TIME  EDIT- 
ORS— LATER  STIMULATING  ISSUES — PAPERS  FORCED  TO  SUSPEND — 
FOUNDED  PRIOR  TO  1880.  344 

CHAPTER  XXIX 

TRANSPORTATION 

EARLY  RIVER  BOATS — SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  WATERWAYS — PIONEER  TRAILS 
AND  ROADS — GOVERNMENT  HIGHWAYS — THE  NATIONAL  ROAD — WORK 
OF  THE  STATE.  353 


xii  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  XXX 
EDUCATION  IN  ILLINOIS 

FIRST  AMERICAN  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS — BASIS  OF  ILLINOIS  SYSTEM— PRIMITIVE 
SCHOOL  HOUSES — CONVENTIONS  TO  ENCOURAGE  PUBLIC  EDUCATION — 
BEST  FRIENDS  OF  THE  CAUSE — STATE  LAW  OP  1855 — PRESENT  SYSTEM 
OP  PUBLIC  EDUCATION.  364 


CHAPTER  XXXI 
ILLINOIS  AGRICULTURAL  COLLEGE 

A  PART  OF  THE  GENERAL  SYSTEM — CREATED  BY  THE  STATE — SCHOOL 
OPENS  IN  1866 — UNCERTAINTY  AS  TO  STATUS — LIFE  GOES  OUT  IN  1879. 

376 

CHAPTER  XXXII 
PRIVATE  SCHOOLS 

FIRST  HIGH  SCHOOL  IN  ILLINOIS — SHURTLEFP  COLLEGE — MCKENDREE  AND 
EWING  COLLEGES — SOUTHERN  COLLEGIATE  INSTITUTE — GREENVILLE 
COLLEGE.  381 

CHAPTER  XXXIII 
SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  COLLEGE 

FIRST  BUILDING  ERECTED — ' '  THE  HERALD  OF  TRUTH  ' ' — COLLEGE  REVIVED 
— CHARTER  SECURED — CLOSED  IN  1870.  387 

CHAPTER  XXXIV 
STATE  SCHOOLS  FOR  HIGHER  EDUCATION 

STATE  AID  AND  LEGISLATION — SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  HIGH  SCHOOLS — 
SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  NORMAL  UNIVERSITY — WORK  OF  THE  STATE 
TEACHERS  ASSOCIATION — LEGISLATURE  CREATES  NORMAL  UNIVERSITY — 
EDUCATIONAL  CONVENTIONS — CARBONDALE,  SITE  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLI- 
NOIS NORMAL  UNIVERSITY — UNIVERSITY  OPENED — BUILDING  BURNED 
— THE  NEW  MAIN  BUILDING — GENERAL  REVIEW.  392 


CHAPTER  XXXV 
BANKS  AND  BANKING  IN  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

FIRST  LAND  OFFICES  AND  BANKS  IN  EGYPT — BANK  OF  ILLINOIS  CREATED 
— BANK  OF  CAIRO — THE  STATE  BANKS — -INTERNAL  IMPROVEMENT 
SCHEMES — FINANCIAL  COMPLICATIONS  AND  EMBARRASSMENTS — THE 
FREE  BANKING  LAW — ONE  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTEEN  BANKS  OF  ISSUE — 
EFFECTS  OF  NATIONAL  BANKING  SYSTEM- — ILLINOIS  BANKERS'  ASSO- 
CIATION— GROUP  No.  10  (SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS) — BUILDING  AND  LOAN 
ASSOCIATIONS.  409 


CONTENTS  xiii 

CHAPTER  XXXVI 
AGRICULTURAL  RESOURCES 

PREPONDERANCE  OF  RURAL  POPULATION — AVERAGE  SIZE  AND  PRICE  OP 
FARMS — -PERCENT  OF  VALUE  IN  LANDS,  BUILDINGS,  ETC. — NUMBER  OF 
FARMS — EDUCATIONAL  AGENCIES.  419 

CHAPTER  XXXVII 
ALEXANDER  COUNTY 

FIRST  SETTLERS  NEAR  THEBES  AND  AT  CAIRO — COUNTY  SEAT  CHANGES — 
CAIRO  SURVEYED  AND  FOUNDED — LUMBER  INTERESTS  AND  LEVEES — 
ALEXANDER  IN  WAR — INDUSTRIES,  RAILROADS  AND  SCHOOLS — NOTED 
VISITORS — SOME  PROMINENT  MEN  OF  THE  COUNTY — THE  OLD  TOWN 
OF  THEBES.  425 

CHAPTER  XXXVIII 
BOND  COUNTY 

f    Two  NEIGHBORHOOD  FORTS  BUILT — THE  Cox  MASSACRE — SALT  WORKS- 
SLAVERY  ISSUE  IN  BOND  COUNTY — SCHOOLS — FARMS  AND  FINANCES. 

432 

CHAPTER  XXXIX 
CLARK  COUNTY 

FIRST  SETTLEMENTS — MARSHALL  AND  THE  NATIONAL  ROAD — PROFESSIONAL 
MEN  OF  THE  COUNTY — AGRICULTURAL  AND  FINANCIAL.  436 

CHAPTER  XL 
CLAY  COUNTY 

MAYVILLE,  OLDEST  SETTLEMENT — COUNTY  SEAT  MOVED  TO  LOUISVILLE — 
BUSY  EARLY  DECADE  (1840-1850) — OHIO  AND  MISSISSIPPI  RAILROAD 
BUILT — FOUNDING  OF  CHURCHES — SETTLEMENT  IN  WESTERN  SEC- 
TIONS— PRESENT  VILLAGES  AND  TOWNS.  439 

CHAPTER  XLI 
CLINTON  COUNTY 

CARLYLE,  FIRST  SETTLEMENT  AND  COUNTY  SEAT — LAID  OUT  IN  1818 — 
CANDIDATE  FOR  STATE  CAPITAL — JUDGE  SIDNEY  BREESE — PRESENT 
CONDITIONS.  443 


xiv  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  XLII 
CRAWPOKD  COUNTY 

LAMOTT,  FIRST  WHITE  RESIDENT — TERRIBLE  HUTSON  MASSACRE — PALES- 
TINE, THE  OLD  COUNTY  SEAT — ROBINSON  MADE  THE  COUNTY  SEAT — 
AGRICULTURE — COMING  OF  RAILROADS  AND  OIL — OBLONG — THE  OIL 
INDUSTRY.  446 

CHAPTER  XLIII 
CUMBERLAND  COUNTY 

COUNTY  SEAT  CHANGES — GENERAL  FACTS  OP  INTEREST — NEWSPAPERS — 
THE  NATIONAL  ROAD  AND  RAILROADS.  451 

CHAPTER  XLIV 
EDWARDS  COUNTY 

SETTLEMENT  OF  THE  ENGLISH  PRAIRIE — ALBION  FOUNDED — JUDGE  WAL- 
TER S.  MAYO — PIANKASHAWTOWN — AN  EARLY  TEACHER — THE  MANU- 
FACTURE OF  CLAY  PRODUCTS — INTERESTING  COUNTY  ITEMS.  453 

CHAPTER  XLV 
EFFINGHAM  COUNTY 

EWINGTON,  FIRST  COUNTY  SEAT — PRESENT  SEAT  OF  JUSTICE — TEUTOP- 
OLIS — LAND  VALUES  458 

CHAPTER  XL VI 
FAYETTE  COUNTY 

FIRST  SETTLERS  OF  THE  COUNTY — FIRST  CAPITOL  AT  VANDALIA — SECOND 
CAPITOL — PERRYVILLE,  SEAT  OF  FAYETTE  COUNTY — ERNEST,  OR  HAN- 
OVER COLONY — FAYETTE  AND  VANDALIA  ITEMS.  461 

CHAPTER  XLVII 
FRANKLIN  COUNTY 

CAVE  TOWNSHIP  FIRST  SETTLED — PIONEER  MILLS  ERECTED — EARLY-TIME 
ITEMS — SLAVES  AND  LAND — BENTON,  THE  COUNTY  SEAT — LOGAN  AND 
DOUGLAS — GROWTH  OF  COAL  INTERESTS.  465 


CONTENTS  xv 

CHAPTER  XL VIII 
GALLATIN  COUNTY 

THE  COUNTY'S  FIRST  WHITE  SETTLER — FIRST  WHITE  SETTLEMENT — A 
LAND  OF  FLOODS  AND  LEVEES — THE  WILSONS — GENERAL  THOMAS 
POSEY — OTHER  PROMINENT  MEN — TOWN  OF  EQUALITY.  469 

CHAPTER  XLIX 
HAMILTON  COUNTY 

FIRST  SETTLERS — JUDGE  STELLE'S  PIONEER  PICTURES — WHICH  RECTOR 
WAS  MASSACRED? — TOWN  OF  MCLEANSBORO — As  TO  EDUCATION — 
JAMES  R.  CAMPBELL — GENERAL  INFORMATION.  475 

CHAPTER  L 
HARDIN  COUNTY 

PICTURESQUE  AND  PROSPEROUS — LEAD  MINES  AND  TOWNS — FIRST  SET- 
TLERS— CAVE-IN-THE-ROCK  DESCRIBED.  478 

CHAPTER  LI 
JACKSON  COUNTY 

SETTLED  EARLY  PART  NINETEENTH  CENTURY — SALT  INDUSTRIES  FOUNDED 
— ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  BRINGS  SETTLERS — CARBONDALE  PLATTED — 
COAL  MINING — GRAND  TOWER — MURPHYSBORO.  481 


CHAPTER  LII 
JASPER  COUNTY 


i 


NEWTON,  THE  COUNTY   SEAT — POPULATION  AND  AGRICULTURE — VILLAGES 
IN  COUNTY.  486 


CHAPTER  LIII 
JEFFERSON  COUNTY 

MT.  VERNON  MADE  THE  COUNTY  SEAT — MILITARY  RECORD — JUDICIAL  AND 
LEGAL  CENTER  —  CAR  SHOPS  —  MT.  VERNON  OF  TODAY  —  FACTS  OF 
INTEREST.  489 


xvi  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  LIV 
JOHNSON  COUNTY 

CREATED  BY  GOVERNOR  EDWARDS — AGRICULTURE  AND  STOCK  RAISING — 
EARLY  SETTLERS — SLAVERY  CONTEST  (1823-4) — MAJOR  ANDREW  J. 

KUYKENDALL CLARK    PASSED    THROUGH   THE    COUNTY.  492 

CHAPTER  LV 
LAWRENCE  COUNTY 

PIONEER  FRENCH  SETTLERS — THE  DEEP  SNOW  AND  MILK  SICKNESS — 
SCHOOLS  —  CHARLOTTESVILLE  —  OLD  TRAILS  ACROSS  THE  COUNTY  — 
LAWRENCEVILLE,  THE  COUNTY  SEAT — OIL  AND  GAS  WELLS.  497 

CHAPTER  LVI 
MARION  COUNTY 

AGRICULTURE  AND  LIVE  STOCK — OLD  SALEM,  THE  COUNTY  SEAT — ' '  STATE 
POLICY"  ABANDONED — FATHER  OF  WILLIAM  J.  BRYAN — GEN.  JAMES 
S.  MARTIN — THE  PRESENT  SALEM  AND  CENTRALIA — LATE  DISCOVERY 
OF  OIL.  502 

CHAPTER  LVII 
MASSAC  COUNTY 

OLD  FORT  MASSAC  —  METROPOLIS  LAID  OFF  —  BROOKPORT  (FORMERLY 
BROOKLYN) — JOPPA — DRAINAGE  AND  AGRICULTURE— THE  OLD  FORT 
TO  BE  PRESERVED.  506 

CHAPTER  LVIII 
MONROE  COUNTY 

FIRST  AMERICAN  SETTLERS — JEFFERSON'S  ESTIMATE  OF  JAMES  LEMEN — - 
OLD  LEMEN  FORT  (SECOND  BRICK  HOUSE  IN  ILLINOIS) — THOMAS 
FORD  AND  DANIEL  P.  COOK — FIRST  COUNTY  COURT — SCHOOLS  AND 
SLAVES — OLD  FRENCH  LAND  GRANT — ELDER  PETER  ROGERS.  509 

CHAPTER  LIX 
PERRY  COUNTY 

PIONEER  SETTLERS  AND  INCIDENTS — PINCKNEYVILLE  SELECTED  AS  COUNTY 
SEAT — FIRST  CIRCUIT  COURT — DuQuoiN  AND  TAMAROA  513 


CONTENTS  xvii 

CHAPTER  LX 
POPE  COUNTY 

SARAH VILLE  (GOLCONDA),  THE  COUNTY  SEAT — EDUCATIONAL  AND  SOCIAL — 
NOTED  PERSONAGES — "GREAT  MEDICINE  WATER" — STATISTICS  516 

CHAPTER  LXI 
PULASKI COUNTY 

CALEDONIA,  THE  OLD  COUNTY  SEAT  —  MOUND  CITY  OP  THE  EARLIER 
TIMES — GENERAL  M.  M.  RAWLINGS — PLANS  FOR  THE  GREAT  EMPORIUM 
CITY — UNION  BLOCK,  CIVIL  WAR  HOSPITAL — THE  PRESENT  MOUND 
CITY — VILLAGES  OP  THE  COUNTY.  519 

CHAPTER  LXII 
RANDOLPH  COUNTY 

COUNTY  AND  STATE  HISTORY  PARALLEL — KASKASKIA  COURT  HOUSE  OP 
1819 — A  SLAVE  COUNTY — POPULATION,  1825-1840 — COUNTY  SEAT 
MOVED  TO  CHESTER — DECLINE  OP  KASKASKIA — ON  THE  RAMPARTS  OP 
OLD  PORT  GAGE.  524 

CHAPTER  LXIII 
RICHLAND  COUNTY 

CONDITIONS  IN  1820 — ELIJAH  NELSON  AND  ROSWELL  PARK — CUSTOMS  OP 
EARLY  SETTLERS — THE  HARD  YEAR,  1881 — FIRST  INSTITUTIONS — THE 
CIVIL  WAR — OLNEY.  528 

CHAP'CER  LXIV 
ST.  CLAIR  COUNTY 

GENERAL  ST.  CLAIR  CREATES  THE  COUNTY — COUNTY  SEAT  TRANSFERRED 
FROM  CAHOKIA  TO  BELLEVILLE — EARLY  SETTLEMENTS— GERMAN  IM- 
MIGRATION— JOHN  REYNOLDS  AND  JOHN  M.  PECK — CAHOKIA  AND  PRAI- 
RIE DU  PONT — THE  PRESENT  COUNTY  AND  COUNTY  SEAT — CHARLES 
DICKENS  AND  SON — EAST  ST.  Louis.  532 

CHAPTER  LXV 
SALINE  COUNTY 

PIONEER  EVENTS — COUNTY  SEAT  LOCATED  AT  RALEIGH — POLITICAL  HIS- 
TORY— CIVIL  WAR  SENTIMENT — HARRISBURG — ELDORADO — CARRIER 
MILLS — THE  OLD  STONE  FORT.  538 


xviii  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  LXVI 
UNION  COUNTY 

FIRST  SETTLERS— JONESBORO  MADE  THE  COUNTY  SEAT — THE  WILLARD 
FAMILY — COLONEL  JOHN  S.  HACKER — VEGETABLES  AND  FRUITS — MIN- 
ERALS AND  MINERAL  SPRINGS — TOWNS.  541 

CHAPTER  LXVII 
WABASH  COUNTY 

FOUR  TOUGAS  BROTHERS,  FIRST  SETTLERS — THE  THREE  BLOCK  FORTS — 
TIMBER  AND  SAW  MILLS — MILK  SICKNESS — SHIPTINGS  OP  THE  COUNTY 
SEAT — ABORIGINAL  REMAINS — NOTES  FROM  NATURE — THE  WABASH 
AND  MOUNT  CARMEL — LIVE  STOCK  RAISING.  547 

CHAPTER  LXVIII 
WASHINGTON  COUNTY 

COUNTY  SEAT  CONTENTIONS — NASHVILLE  FINALLY  SELECTED — COURT 
HOUSES — CITY  OP  NASHVILLE — MINOR  TOWNS.  552 

CHAPTER  LXIX 
WAYNE  COUNTY 

FIRST  SETTLERS  AND  EVENTS — FIRST  COUNTY  SEAT — IN  THE  WARS — 
CAPT.  THOMAS  W.  SCOTT — FAIRFIELD — FARM  VALUES.  555 

CHAPTER  LXX 
WHITE  COUNTY 

ORIGINAL  PHYSICAL  FEATURES — WHITE  COUNTY  AND  ITS  SPONSOR — EARLY 
VISITORS — CARMI,  THE  COUNTY  SEAT — ENPIELD — EARLY  DAY  WILD 
PIGEON  ROOST.  558 

CHAPTER  LXXI 
WILLIAMSON  COUNTY 

LAST  OP  INDIANS — THE  JORDAN  BROTHERS — INDUSTRIES — MEXICAN  AND 
CIVIL  WAR  MATTERS — TOWNS  IN  THE  COUNTY.  561 


INDEX 


Abt,  Paul  W.,  1362 

Adams,  Robert  L.,  1528 

Adams,  Willard  W.,  1299 

Adams  county,  174 

Adderly,  Henry  C.,  575 

Adles,  Max,  923 

Agnew,  T.  Lee,  780 

Agricultural  resources — Preponderance 
of  rural  population,  419;  average 
size  and  price  of  farms,  420;  percent 
of  value  in  lands,  buildings,  etc.,  420; 
number  of  farms,  421;  educational 
agencies,  421 

Aiken,  Hiram  M.,  1233 

Akers,  Peter,  385 

Albion,  453,  454,  549 

Alexander,  James,  1376 

Alexander,  John,    1376 

Alexander,  Milton  K.,  205 

Alexander,  Walter  C.,  569 

Alexander,  William  M.,  425 

Alexander  county — First  settlers  near 
Thebes  and  at  Cairo,  425;  county 
seat  changes,  425 ;  Cairo  surveyed  and 
founded,  427 ;  lumber  interests  and 
levees.  427;  Alexander  in  the  war, 
427;  industries,  railroads  and  schools, 
428;  noted  visitors,  429;  some  prom- 
inent men  of  the  county,  431;  the  old 
town  of  Thebes,  431;  the  visit  of  the 
"Concord,"  431;  Alexander  county 
court  house  (illustration) — At  Cairo, 
424;  at  Thebes  (1845),  426 

Allen.  James  C.,  314,  338,  447,  1608 

Allen,  Thomas  G.,  329 

Allen.  William   J.,  338 

Allio,  James  H.,  1139 

Allyn,  Robert.    402.   407 

Almira    College,    435 

Alsbrook.  Arthur  B.,   811 

Alsbrook,  Robert   W.,    793 

Alsup.  James  T..   1509 

Altgeld.  John   P.,    341 

Alto  Pass,  545 

Alton  Battalion,   332 

Alton  city  hall  where  Lincoln-Douglas 
debate  was  held  (illustration).  302 

Alton  Seminary,    383 

"Alton  Spectator."   348 

Ames,  E.  R.,  384 


Amity  Academy,  434 
Andel,  Casimir,  334 
Anderson,  Amos,  514 
Anderson,  Benjamin  H.,   902 
Anderson,  Charles   E.,   1040 
Anderson,  Cyrus  H.,   956 
Anderson,  George  H.,  1642 
Andrews,  George   W.,    1106 
Anna,  545 

Anti-Nebraska  party,  250 
Antrim.  Hugh   S.,   740 
Apple,  Elmer  L.,   1579 
Applegath,  Joseph,    455 
Applegath,   (Mrs.)   Joseph,  456 
Archer.  William  B.,  436 
Asbury,  Isaac  M.,    1417 
Atherton,  William  N.,  1699 
Attractive      architecture,      McLeansboro 
(illustrated),  476 

Badgley  settlement,  173 

Bailey,  Henry,   1540 

Bainbridge,   564 

Baird,  Samuel  W.,  1161 

Baker,  Carl,  1135 

Baker,  David  J.,  166,  527 

Baker,  E.  D.,  230,  560 

Bald  Knob,  544 

Baldwin,  Theron,  372 

Ballance,  John  W.,   603 

Bank  of  Cairo,  410 

Bank  of  Illinois  (Shawneetown),  125, 
198,  223,  409,  412 

Bank  bills  (illustrations),  Issued  by  Ed- 
wardsville  bank  in  1821,  141;  by 
Cairo  bank,  196 

Banks  and  banking — First  land  offices 
and  banks  in  Egypt,  409;  "Bank  of 
Illinois"  created,  409;  "Bank  of 
Cairo,"  410;  the  state  banks,  410; 
internal  improvement  schemes,  411; 
financial  complications  and  embarass- 
ments.  412;  the  Free  Banking  Law, 
414;  "Wild  Cat"  banks,  415;  one 
hundred  and  fifteen  banks  of  issue, 
415;  effects  of  national  banking  sys- 
tem, 416;  Illinois  Bankers'  Associa- 
tion. 416;  group  No.  10,  (Southern 
Illinois),  417;  building  and  loan  as- 
sociations, 124,  194,  243,  417 


XIX 


INDEX 


Banks  and  banking  (illustrations), — 
Cairo  bank,  Kaskaskia,  410;  old 
banking  house  in  Shawneetown 
(1840),  413 

Banksou,  James,   552 

"Baptist  Banner,"  348 

Baptists   (early),  121,  179 

Barclay,  Guy  C.,   1492 

Barclay,  Phil  C.,  626 

Barker,  Daniel  P..  878 

Barker,  Lewis,  489 

Barnett,  William  U.,  1482 

Barr,  William    W.,    817 

Barringer,  George,   602 

Bartlett,  Oscar   L.,    632 

Bartmes,  Frank,   1030 

Barton,  John   H.,   1697 

Bateman,  Newton,  255,  393 

Battle  of  Bad  Axe,  191 

Beach,  Herbert  C.,  877 

"Beacon,"  445 

Bean,  Jerome   F.,   1694 

Beatte,  Ira,  1305 

Bechtold,  Herman  T.,  1193 

Bechtold,  William   G.,   1123 

Beck,  Guy,    461 

Beckemeyer,  Herman  H.,  1633 

Becker,  Edward  P.,  1076 

Beecher,  Edward,  372 

Beever,  John  C.,  980 

Beever,  W.  George,  961 

Begg,  J.  Cyril,   1357 

Belleville,  532,  533,  535 

Bellefontaine,  509 

Bellmann,  Emanuel,   1497 

Bennett,  John,   941 

Benson,  Newton  J.,  693 

Benton,  467 

Bergen,  John  G.,  178 

Bernreuter,  Louis,   1234 

Berry,  William,   346 

Beveridge,  John  L.,  340 

Bierer,  Frederick  C.,  662 

Bierer,  Frederick  G.,   663 

Big  Four  Depot  and  Y.  M.  C.  A.  build- 
ing, Mt.  Carmel  (illustration),  550 

Big  Muddy  river,  355 

Biggs,  William,  433,  509 

Binder.  John  F.  W.,  1056 

Birkbeck,  Morris,  143  153,  346,  453, 
454,  456,  457,  559 

Birkner,  Edward  H.,   1182 

Bissell,  L.  H.,  459 

Bissell,  William  H..  229,  251 

Bissell  (William  H.),  administration — 
Official  oath  against  dueling,  253; 
Bissell-Davis  affair,  254 

Black  Hawk   (portrait),  185 

Black   Hawk  war,  183 

Blake.  Edward  L.,  1405 

Blake,  William   B.,   1072 

Blanchard,  Israel,  322 

Boewe,  Ernest  E.,  1589 

Boggs,  Vivian  O.,   772 

Boisbriant  Pierre  Duque,  59,  66 

Bon  Pas  block   house,   549 

Bond.  Shadrach.  103,  117,  118,  135,  136, 
147,  494,  509,  527 


Bond  (Shadrach)  administration — 
Starting  the  new  machinery,  136; 
Illinois  Black  Code,  138;  in  the  new 
capital,  139;  attempted  financial  re- 
lief, 139;  Military  tract,  142;  the 
English  Prairie  settlement,  142;  Gov- 
ernor Bond  returns  to  his  farm,  147. 

Bond  county — Two  neighborhood  forts 
built  (1811),  432;  the  Cox  massacre, 
432;  Salt  works,  433;  slavery  issue 
in  Bond  county,  434;  schools,  434; 
farms  and  finances,  435 

Bone,  Finis  E.,  975 

Bonney,  John  R.,   1242 

Borah,  William  E.,  556 

Borah,  William  N.,  556 

Borah,  James  L.,   1636 

Boswell,  Charles  J.,  911 

Bour.  Frank.  1534 

Bouthillier,  175 

Bowlesville,  472,  482 

Boys'  corn  club  in  Johnson  county 
(illustration),  374 

Boyd,  Christopher  J.,  1201 

Boyer,  Eli,  531 

Bracy,  Benjamin  D.,   1080 

Bradbury,  Presley  G.,  1536 

Braden,  Clark,  390,   (389   portrait),  391 

Braden,  William  E.,  1175 

Bradley,  Daniel  J.,  1326 

Bradley,  James,  383 

Bradley,  Thomas  A,  625 

Bramlett.  John  D.,  863 

Brayfield,  Benjamin  F.,  695 

Breese,  Sidney,  238.   376,   445 

Breeze,  Emanuel,  906 

Brick,  19 

Bridges,  Gus  H.,  699 

Bridges,  Harry  T.,  678 

British  occupation,  72 

Britton.  Edward  G.,  657 

Brock,  F.   M.,    1655 

Brookport    (Brooklyn),  507 

Brooks.  John  F.,  372 

Brooks,  William,  439 

Brosman,  William  H.,  1595 

Brown,  Alfred,    1165 

Brown,  Austin  L,   1327 

Brown,  Charles,  982 

Brown,  Columbus,  614 

Brown,  John   J.,   1615 

Brown,  John  M.,  630 

Brown,  John  P.,  886 

Brown,  Joseph    M.,    1144 

Brown,  R.  E.,  596 

Brown.  Samuel  B.,  1523 

Brown.  William  H.,  166,  346 

Browning.  John  L.,   1579 

Browning,  Levi,    1577 

Browning,  Nelson,    667 

Browning,  0.  H.,  251 

Brownsville's  only  remaining  house,  483 

Bruchhauser,  William,    625 

Brush,  Daniel  H.,   1398 

Brush,  Samuel   T.,   1395 

Bryan,  Silas  Lillard,  338,  503 

Bryan,  William    Jennings,   338,   504 


INDEX 


xxi 


Bryant,  Emmett    0.,    1516 

Bryden,  William,    577 

Bucher,  Eberhard,   789 

Building  and  loan  associations,  417 

Bunch,  Andrew  J.,  264 

Bundy,  Joseph  B.,  744 

Bundy,  William  F.,   1479 

Burbes,  Henry  S.,  963 

Burch,  Elmer,    1261 

Burgess,  Hampton  S.,  1610 

Burkhardt,  Henry,    1377 

Burkhardt,  John  M.,  1309 

Burkhardt,  Phillip,   1037 

Burkhart,  James  M.,   1049 

Burnett,  C.  P.,  1290 

Burnett,  Henry   L.,    1300 

Burnett,  John  H.,  1104 

Burns,  Henry    E.,    979 

Burton,  Charles   C.,    1170 

Burr,  Aaron,  506 

Burris,  Hiram   H.,    692 

Burritt,  Eldon  G.,  386,  435 

Bushnell,  D.  I.,  28 

Butler,  William  N.,  814 

Butner,  Andrew  J.,  862 

Cache    river,   355 

Cahokia,  51,   100,   172,  532,  534 

Cahokia  Building,  view  of,  1361 

Cairo,    118,   427 

Cairo  City  and  Canal  Company,  427 

Caldwell,  Andrew  S.,  1067 

Caledonia,  519 

Calhoun,  Hugh,    528 

Callahan,  Ethelbert,  1245 

Ualvin,  Allen  F.,  1197 

Calvin,  Robert,    521 

Camp,  Abram,    447 

Campbell,  Alexander,  555 

Campbell,  Bruce   A.,    958 

Campbell,  James  R.,  335,  477 

Campbell,  J.  M.,  400 

Canal  scrip  bill  ($100)  (illustration), 
248 

Cantrell,  William   S.,   830 

Cantril,  John,   1706 

Capel,  Sigel,  1374 

Capitols  (illustrations) — At  Kaskaskia, 
137;  at  Vandalia,  139,  462;  at  Spring- 
field, 204,  338 

Carbondale,  484 

Carbondale  College,  397 

Carbondale  National  Bank,  761 

Carlile,  R.  A.,   818 

Carlin,  Thomas,    219 

Carlin,  William  P.,  328 

Carlyle,  443 

Carlyle,  James  C.,  1662 

Carlyle,  Thomas,  444 

Carmi.  558,   559 

Carr,  John  E.,  801 

Carrier  Mills.  540 

Carroll,  Charles,   471 

Carroll,  McDaniel,   1371 

Carson,  William  C.,   1119 

Carson,  Zenas   C.,   1108 

Carter,  George  E.,  1571 


Carter,  James  C.,  765 

Carter,  Marcus  L.,  861 

Carterville,  564 

Cartwright,  Peter,    384 

Casey,  Thomas   S.,   330 

Casey,  William,  489 

Casey,  Zadoc,  179,  181,   192,   489,  503 

Caspar,  Edward  J.,  1519 

Casper,  Walter  J.,  1140 

Casteel,  Burton  L.,   893 

Catholic  missions   (early),  121,  175 

Catlin,  Oren,  176 

Cave-in-Rock,  479,  480 

Centerville,   549 

Central  City,  505 

Centralia,  505 

Cereal  Springs,  564 

Cerre,  John  Gabriel,  101 

Chaffin,  Horatio  C.,  1253 

Chamberlin,  John  M.,  Jr.,  574 

Chapman,  James  C.,  1469 

Chapman,  Pleasant  S.,  496 

Chapman,  Pleasant  T.,  750 

Charlottesville,   498 

Chase,  Charles  H.,  717 

Cherry,  Thomas    L.,    707 

Chester,  527 

Chicago  Inter-State   Exposition,   341 

Cisne,  William  H.,  1661 

Citizens'  State  &  Savings  Bank,  1602 

City  Hall,  Mt.  Carmel  (illustration), 
546 

City  National  Bank  of  Murphysboro,  677 

Civil  war  period — Logan's  popularity, 
315;  Logan  In  congress  and  the  field, 
316;  state  conventions  and  assemblies, 
316;  Knights  of  the  Golden  Circle, 
317;  Southern  Illinois  in  camp  and  in 
battle,  322;  three  years'  service,  326; 
one  hundred  days'  service,  332;  the 
Alton  Batallion,  332;  one  year  ser- 
vice, 332;  cavalry  service,  333 

Clanahan,  Milo  R.,  1262 

Clark  county — First  settlements,  436; 
Marshall  and  the  national  road,  436; 
professional  men  of  the  county,  437; 
agricultural  and  financial,  437 

Clark,  George  Rogers,  83  (portrait), 
495,  506,  561 

Clark,  Harry  H.,  1622 

Clark,  James  S.,  1079 

Clark,  John,    179 

Clark,  Thomas  A.,  1651 

Clark's  conquest  of  the  Illinois  country 
— Conditions  in  Illinois,  79;  Clark's 
expedition,  80;  public  and  private  in- 
structions to  General  Clark,  81;  down 
the  Ohio,  82;  across  southern  Illinois, 
83 ;  capture  of  Kaskaskia,  85 

Clay  City,  441 

Clay  county — Maysville,  oldest  settle- 
ment, 439;  county  seat  moved  to  Lou- 
isville, 439;  busy  early  decade  (1840- 
1850),  440;  Ohio  and  Mississippi  rail- 
road built.  440 ;  founding  of  churches, 
440;  settlement  in  western  sections, 
441;  present  villages  and  towns,  441 


XX11 


INDEX 


Clays,  19 

Clayton,  Walter   E.,   1075 

Clements,  Frank,  633 

Clendennin,  T.  C.,  429 

Clinton  county — Carlyle,  first  settle- 
ment and  county  seat,  443;  laid  out 
in  1818,  443;  candidate  for  state  cap- 
ital, 444;  Judge  Sidney  Breese,  445; 
present  conditions,  445. 

Clinton,  DeWitt,   443 

Cloud,  Newton,  234 

Coal,  15,  467 

Cobbett,  William,  143 

Cobden,  545 

Cockrum,  Matthew  W.,  1205 

Cole,  Charles  B.,  1248 

Cole,  Hermon  C.,  1248 

Coles'  (Edward)  administration — a  man 
with  convictions,  148;  the  slavery  is- 
sue, 150;  a  bitter  campaign,  152;  the 
result,  155;  the  Sangamon  country, 
157;  a  distinguished  visitor  (LaFay- 
ette),  160;  the  elections  of  1826,  163 

Coles,  Edward  (portrait),  149 

Coles,  Frank,   Jr.,   1593 

Coles,  Frank,  Sr.,   1580 

Collier,  Homer,   1084 

Colp,  John,    1532- 

Colyer,  Walter,    1586 

Comings,  Alfred,  727 

Company  of  the  West,  54 

Compton,  Levi,   547 

Concrete  railroad  bridge  over  Salt  creek, 
near  Effingham  (illustration),  459 

Connaway,  Norman  W.,  831 

Constitutions — Territorial  bill  of  1809, 
109;  of  1818  (state),  133;  of  1848, 
233;  of  1870,  339 

Cook,  Daniel  P.,  164,  510,  527 

Cook,  John,  324 

Cook,  Marion    C.,    854 

Cook,  Rufus  E.,  1502 

Cook,  Thomas  M.,  624 

Cooper,  John   L.,   1605 

Copeland,  James  P.,  1589 

Copeland.  Louisa,   1592 

Copeland,  Minnie  L.,  1593 

Coughanowr,  George  W.,  784 

County  of  Illinois,  87-90 

Covington,   552 

Cowan,  Thomas    J.,    797 

Cowling,  Edward   J.,    969 

Cox,  Henry,  1493 

Crab  Orchard,  564 

Grain,  Clain,  977 

Crawford  county — Lamott,first  white 
resident,  446;  terrible  Hutson  massa- 
cre, 446;  Palestine,  the  old  county 
seat,  447;  Robinson  made  the  county 
seat,  447;  school  interests,  447;  agri- 
culture, 448;  coming  of  railroads  and 
oil,  448 ;  Oblong,  449 ;  the  oil  industry, 
449 

Crawford,  Francis  E..  1156 

Crawford,  James  W.,   1073 

Cremeens,  George  L.,  1195 

Crichton,  George  K.,  687 


Crim,  Charles  W.,  1506 

Cross,  John  R.,   1427 

Crowley,  Joseph  B.,  1511 

Crozat,  Anthony,  53,  59,  175 

Cruiser  "Concord"  iu  port  at  Cairo,  (il- 
lustration), 430 

Cruse,  Grant,   1154 

Cullorn,  Edward,  447 

Cullom,  Shelby  M.,  340 

Cumberland  count  y— County  seat 
changes,  451;  general  facts  of  inter- 
est, 451;  newspapers,  451;  the  na- 
tional road  and  railroads,  451 

Cunningham,  J.  M.,  562 

Cunningham,  James  T.,  314 

Curtis,  Henry  C.,  672 

Cutler,  Manasseh,  99 

Dailey,  Samuel  M.,   1275 

Daily,  Whitson  W.,  477 

Daniel,  Marshall  E.,   1422 

Dare,  Eugene  M.,   1331 

Daugherty,  John   E.,   1463 

Davenport,  George   O.,   1380 

Davenport,  John,  1378 

Davidson,  Charles  A.,  1402 

Davis,  Charles  C.,  1301 

Davis,  David,  251 

Davis,  Frank  M.,  1574 

Davis,  Henry  L.,  1332 

Davis,  Jefferson,   192 

Davis,  Joseph  W.,  842 

Dawson,  Duly  M.,  674 

Dawson,  Lewis  A.,  769 

Dell'Era,    Louis,    1400 

Deneen,  Charles  S.,  343,   385 

Denison,  Leon  E.,  767 

Dense  woods,  Johnston  county  (illustra- 
tion), 494 

DeRenault,  Phillipe  Francois  54,  66  67, 
105 

De  Rocheblave,  Chevalier,  75,  96 

Dewey,  Robert  K.,  1138 

Dewey,  William  S.,  859 

DeWitt,  John  C.,  713 

DeWitt,  William   M.,   1623 

Diamond   Grove  Prairie,  173 

Dick,  Edgar  B.,  821 

Dickens,   Alfred   Tennyson,   431,   537 

Dickens,  Charles,  536 

Dickey,  Thomas  M.,  1623 

Dill,  John  D.,  607 

Dillon,  Andrew,   1530 

Dillon,   Elisha,  1123 

Dillon,  Hettie  A.,  1125 

Dillon,  Wilford  F.,  1478 

Dimmock,   Thomas,   216 

Dinwiddie,  Charles  C.,  1354 

Dixon,  William.  518 

Dodd,  George  E.,  1513 

Doherty,   Anthony,    1460 

Dollins,   James  J.,   330 

Donagliy,  Mrs.  Minnie  J.,  778 

Donaghy,  William  B.,  778 

Donaly,   James,   1002 

Dorris".    William    S..    909 

Dougherty,   Henry,   327 


INDEX 


XXlll 


Dougherty,  James,  520 

Douglas,  Stephen  A.,  238,  249,  255,  301, 
313,  314,  371,  429 

Dowell,  George  W.,   1450 

Dowell,  William  C.,  1204 

Draper,  Newton  W.,  1468 

Drone,  Marion  N.,   1285 

Dry,  Alva   R.,  847 

Dubois,  Jesse  K.,  251,  497 

Dubois,  Toussaint,  497 

DuCoign,  Jean  Baptiste,  26 

Duff,  A.  D.,  322 

Dulany,   William  A.,    1612 

Dunaway,  Samuel  W.,  1069 

Duncan,  George  E.,  1061 

Duncan  (Joseph)  administration — elec- 
tion as  governor,  193;  banking  legis- 
lation recommended,  194;  United 
States  and  state  banks,  195;  redemp- 
tion extension,  197;  suspension  of 
specie  payments,  198;  State  Bank  in 
liquidation,  200;  internal  improve- 
ments, 200;  recommendations,  200; 
bill  passed  over  governor's  veto,  203; 
capital  removed  to  Springfield,  203; 
also  passed  over  council's  veto,  205 

Duncan,  Joseph,  157,  165,  169,  185,  192, 
193,  222,  368,  436 

Duncan,  Mathew,   344 

Dunn,  Joel,  1538 

DuQuoin,  515 

Dwyer,  Mrs.  W.   T.,  716 

Dye,   John  W.,   851 

Early-day  dwelling  of  clay  and  straw, 
Richland  county  (illustration),  529 

Early  River  boats,  353 

Early  schools,  120 

Early  school   houses,   369 

Early  school  teachers,  120,  366,  455 

Easley,  William  T.,  1324 

Easterday,    Elmer   P.,   731 

Easterday,   Melancthon,    612 

East  St.  Louis,  537 

Eaton,  Abel  C.,  914 

Eaton,  Samuel  B.,  898 

Ebers,  William,   945 

Echols,  Thomas  B..  1613 

Eddy,  Henry   (portrait),  154,  344,  471 

Edgar,  John,  103 

Edwards  county — Settlement  of  the  Eng- 
lish prairie,  453;  Albion  founded,  454; 
Judge  Walter  L.  Mayo,  454;  Pianka- 
shawtown.  455;  an  early  teacher,  455; 
an  early  civil  engineer,  456;  the  man- 
ufacture of  clay  products,  456;  in- 
teresting county  items,  457. 

Edwards,  Cyrus.  371,  376 

Edwards.  Francis  M.,  1104 

Edwards.  James  E.  N..   1070 

Edwards,  James  G.,  348 

Edwards  (Xinian)  administration — The 
State  Bank,  166;  an  interesting  doc- 
trine, 168;  school  legislation,  169;  the 
Winnebago  War,  170 

Edwards.  Xinian,  109.  164,  533 

Edwards.  Ninian  W.,  373 


Edwards,  William   0.,  829 

Edwardsville,   344 

Erlingham,   458 

Ettingham  county — Ewington,  first 
county  seat,  458;  present  seat  of  jus- 
tice, 458;  Illinois  College  of  Photog- 
raphy, 459;  Teutopolis,  459;  land  val- 
ues, 459 

Eighteenth  Infantry  Regiment,  327 

Eighth  Illinois  Infantry,  335 

Eightieth  Infantry  Regiment,  329 

Eighty-first  Infantry  Regiment,  330 

Eighty-seventh  Infantry   Regiment,    330 

Eis,  Gustave  E.,  1315 

Eldorado,  540 

Eleventh  Infantry  Regiment,  326 

Elizabethtown,  479 

Elliott,  Thomas  0.,  1003 

Ellis,  John  M.,  176,  178,  382 

Elvira,  494 

Emmerson,  Louis  L.,  1373 

Emporium  Real  Estate  and  Manufactur- 
ing Company,  521 

Enfield,    560 

English,  George  W.,  745 

English  Prairie  settlements,  144,  453 

Epler,  Elbert,  1659 

Equality,  472 

Ernest,  Ferdinand,  462,  463,  559 

Ernest    (Hanover)    colony,   463 

Ernst,  Frank,  1097 

Eshleman,  Hugh  B.,  905 

Etherton,  James  M.,  759 

Evans,  Joseph  T.,  1028 

Everest,  Harvey  W.,  407 

Ewing  College,  385 

Ewing,  W.  L.  D.,  192 

Ewington,  458 

Fager,  Daniel  B.,   1157 

Fairfield,  557 

Faller,  Louis,  1239 

Farmer,  Robert,  75 

Farmer,  William  M.,  1152 

Farms  f  illustrations) — Oakdale  farm, 
Vienna,  493 ;  P.  S.  Chapman  farm,  Vi- 
enna, 495 ;  Wm.  E.  G.  Britton,  Mounds, 
519 

Farris,  Dawson,  M..  1336 

Fayette  county — First  settlers  in  the 
county,  461;  first  capitol  at  Vandalia, 
461;  second  capitol,  462;  Perryville, 
seat  of  Fayette  county,  462;  Ernest, 
or  Hanover  colony,  463;  Fayette  and 
Vandalia  items.  463 

Feirich,  Charles  E.,  816 

Feldmeier.  Samuel  H..  1277 

Felts,  Benjamin  R..  1683 

Fern.  William  .T..  588 

Ferrell,  Benjamin  B.,  1527 

Ferrell.  Hosea  V..  1163 

Ferrell.    William   F..   1183 

Feuchter,  Charles,  873 

Fifer.  Joseph  W..   341 

Fifth  Cavalry  Regiment,  333 

Fifteenth  Cavalry  Regiment,  334 

Fifty-fourth    Infantry    Regiment,    329 


XXIV 


INDEX 


Fifty-sixth  Infantry  Regiment,  329 

File,  Charles  H.,  1490 

Finley,  John  Evans,  122 

First  American  school  teacher  in  Illinois, 
120 

First  Cavalry  Regiment,  333 

First  court  of  law,  69 

First  High  School  in  Illinois,  382 

First  magazine  in  Illinois,  347 

First  National  Bank  of  Mound  City,  798 

First  Republican  governor  of  Illinois, 
253 

Fischer,  John  G.,  1060 

Fisher,  George,   117 

Fisher,  Orcenith,  553 

Fithian,  Charles  D.,  1550 

Fitzgerrell,  Daniel  G.,  1341 

Fitzgerrell,  Evan,   1024 

Flack,  John,  513 

Flanagan,  Samuel  J.,  399 

Flannary,  Abraham,   425 

Flannary,  Joshua,  425 

Flannary,  Thomas,  425 

Flannigen,  John  L.,  932 

Flathead  and  Regulator  war,  224 

Fleming,  Richard  G.,  1387 

Fleming,  R.  K.,  346 

Flora,  441 

Flower,  George,  144,  346,  454,  457 

Flower,  Richard,  144,  145 

Fly,  Jesse  \J.,   697 

Ford,  J.  B.,  919 

Ford,  Theodore  M.,  618 

Ford,  Thomas,  166,  348,  510 

Ford,  William  H.,  1143 

Ford  (Thomas)  administration — Illinois 
and  Michigan  Canal  progresses,  223; 
a  brighter  outlook,  223;  some  social 
problems,  224 

Fordham,  Elias  Pym,  454,  456 

Foreman,  Ferris,  230,  231,  463 

Forester,  John,  892 

Fort  Chartres,  54,  66,  71  and  72  (illus- 
trations) 

Fort  Clark,    174 

Fort  Crevecoeur,  45 

Fort  Dearborn  (Chicago)  in  1812  (illus- 
tration), 114 

Fort  Dearborn  massacre,  112 

Fort    Edwards,    115 

Fort  Gage,  527 

Fort  Massac.  506,  507  (illustration),  508 

Fortieth  Infantry  Regiment,  328 

Forty-third   Infantry   Regiment,    328 

Forty-eighth  Infantry  Regiment,  328 

Fouke,  Philip  B.,  327 

Four  Mile  Prairie,  513 

Fourteenth    Cavalry   Regiment,   334 

Fourth  Illinois  Infantry  (Spanish-Amer- 
ican war).  334 

Fox,  Erwin  D.,  1320 

Fraim,  Oliver  M.,  739 

Frankfort,  467 

Franklin  county — Cave  township  first 
settled,  465;  pioneer  mills  erected, 
465;  early-time  items.  466;  slaves  and 
land,  466;  Benton,  the  county  seat, 


467;  Logan  and  Douglas,  467;  growth 

of  coal  interest,  467 
Fraser,  Alexander  S.,  643 
i'ree  Banking  law,  244,  414 
French,  Augustus  C.,  255 
French    (Augustus   C.)    administration — 

End  of   Flathead  and  Regulator  war, 

226;  Mexican  war,  228;  Mormons,  228; 

constitution    of    1848,    233;    111.    Cent. 

R.  R.,  237;  a  new  banking  system,  243 
French,  D.  P.,  378 
French,  George  H.,  573 
French  villages,  religious   life  of,  60 
Frier,  Harry  L.,  1006 
Friganza,  Commodore,  1392 
Friganza,  Willis  T.,  1393 
Fuller,  R.  C.,  1384 
Funkhauser,  John  J.,  330 
Fyke,  Edgar  E.,  1542 

Gahm,  George  L.,   1557 

Galbraith,  John  T.,  579 

Galena,   175 

Gallatin  county — The  county's  first 
white  settler,  469;  a  land  of  floods  and 
levees,  470;  the  Wilsons,  470;  Gen- 
eral Thomas  Posey,  471;  other  promi- 
nent men,  471;  town  of  Equality, 
479;  a  pioneer  industry,  479 

Gallatin   County  Bank,   1702 

Galligan,  James  H.,  890 

Uarretson,  James,   509 

Garrison,  I.  L.,  1624 

Gas,  18 

Gasaway,   Americus,    1294 

Gaskins,  Edward,  833 

Gaskins,  John  T.,  858 

Gaskins,  Wilson,   825 

Gatewood,  William  J.,  371 

Gauen,  Albert,  1054 

Gauen,  Roy  E.,  1032 

Gee,  Harl  L.,  1330 

Gee,  Knox,  1503 

Gen.  Grant  and  Gen.  McClelland  at 
Cairo  (1861)  (illustration),  323 

Geology — Civilization  based  on,  2;  Gen- 
eral scientific  phase,  3;  eras,  4;  time 
divisions,  5;  Southern  Illinois,  5; 
Glacial  period,  7 

George,  William  E.,  1200 

Georgetown,   552 

Gerhart,  Thomas  S.,  1225 

Gerlach,  Jacob  P.,  578 

Gerould.  Theodore  F.,   1293 

Gibbs,  William  L,  226 

Gibson,  Elijah  P.,  1271 

Gibson,  James  Walter,  1158 

Gibson,  James  W.,   1421 

Gilbert,  Edward  L.,  795 

Gilbert.  Miles  F..  726 

Gilbreath,  Whitney,  933 

Gill,  E.  E.,  1058 

Gillespie,  Joseph,   39,  314 

Gillespie.  Robert  E.,  ?72 

Gilliam.  William   H..  1304 

Glass.  William  T.,  1339 

Glynn,  John  P.,  600 


INDEX 


XXV 


Goddard,  George  A.,  682 

Goddard,  Henry  T.,  1677 

Goddard,  Reuben  J.,  924 

Golconda  (bird's  eye  view),  517 

Goodman,  Thomas  B.,  1115 

Gordon,  Abram  G.,   1172 

Gordon,  George  A.,  1497 

Gordon,  H.  S.,  1497 

Goudy,  John,    376 

Grammar,  John,  542 

Grand  Rapids  dam,  Mt.  Carmel,  356 
(illustration),  551 

Grand  Tower,  484 

Grant,  Ulysses  S.,  324 

Grant,  William  A.,  997 

Grant,  William  H.,  822 

Gravier,  James,  49 

Greaney,  William  P.,  826 

"Great  Medicine  Water,"  518 

Great   Western   Railway   Company,    238 

Green,  Earl,  1352 

Green,  Reed,  842 

Green,  William  H.,   1353 

Green,  William   P.,   609 

Green,  Judge  William  P.,  1240 

"Greenup   Tribune,"   451 

Greenville  College,  386,  435  (illustra- 
tion) 

Grierson,  Benjamin  H.,  333 

Grissom,  William  M.,   1207 

Griswold,   Stanley,   109 

Gum,  George  W.,  1489 

Gun  "Capt.  Billy  Smith,"  Cairo  (illus- 
tration), 428 

Gunboats   at  Cairo    (illustration),  325 

"Gusher"  near  Robinson,  Crawford 
county  (illustration),  449 

Hacker,  Fanny  P.,  429,  1297 

Hacker,  John  S.,  543 

Haertling,  G.  H.,  1575 

Hale,  James  I.,  628 

Hale,  John  A.,   584 

Hall,  Frank  H.,  422 

Hall,  Henry  R.,  1319 

Hall,  James,  344,  347 

Hall,  William  B.,  880 

Hall,  William  0.,  1455 

Halliday,    Samuel,    1692 

Hambleton,  W.  L..  522 

Hamilton,  Charles   E.,   658 

Hamilton,  James  W.,  1364 

Hamilton    College,    477 

Hamilton  county — First  settlers,  475; 
Judge  Stelle's  pioneer  pictures,  475; 
which  Rector  was  massacred,  476; 
town  of  McLeansboro,  476;  as  to  edu- 
cation, 477;  James  R.  Campbell,  477; 
general  information,  477 

Hamlin,    John,    174 

Hammond,  Jackson  L.,  756 

Hansen,  Nicholas,  151 

Hardin  county — Picturesque  and  pros- 
perous. 478 ;  lead  mines  and  towns, 
478;  first  settlers,  479;  Cave-in-Rock 
described,  480 

Hardin,  John  H.,   229 


Hardy,  John  G.,  690 

Hardy,  Solomon,   178 

Hargrave,  Jean,  796 

Harker,  Oliver  A.,  1100 

Harlan,  James  D.,  1617 

Harmon,  John,  385 

Harper,  John  B.,  1539 

Harreld,  William  E.,  1344 

Harrington,  Lawrence  R.,  685 

Harris,  Clyde  D.,  774 

Harris,  Gilham,  555 

Harris,  Isaac,  555 

Harris,  Thomas  W.,  329 

Harrisburg,  540 

Harrison,   Francis  O.,  1220 

Harriss,  Judson  E.,  938 

Hart,  Samuel,  1096 

Hart,   William  H.,    1274 

Hartwell,  Dausa  D.,  1038 

hartwell,  DeWitt  T.,    1022 

Hasenjaeger,  Henry,   808 

Hatch,  O.  M.,  251 

Hawkins,  Louis  A.,   1324 

Hawks,  Walter  S.,  322 

Hay,  W.  D.,  560 

Haynie,  Isham  N.,  328 

Heard,   Montreville,   1444 

Hearn,  William  O.,  733 

Heckert,  Henry   F.,   1226 

Helm,  Douglas  W.,  1670 

Hemenway,  Justin  G.,  884 

Henderson,  W.  H.,  222 

Henry,  James  D.,  185 

Henson,  John  H.,  1250 

Herbert,  Oscar  L.,  87fi 

Herrin,    564 

Herrin,  Paul  D.,  1118 

Hersh,  E.  W.,  1065 

Hess,  L.  Jasper,  805 

Hester,  James  S.,  648 

Hewitt,  Francis  M.,  1098 

Heyde,  John  B.,  1055 

Hickman,  George  A.,  749 

Hicks,  Stephen  G.,  231,  328 

Higher  education — First  High  School  in 
Illinois,  382;  Southern  Illinois  Col- 
lege, 387;  state  aid  and  legislation, 
392;  Southern  Illinois  high  schools, 
394;  Southern  Illinois  Normal  Uni- 
versity, 395;  work  of  the  State  Teach- 
ers' Association,  395;  Legislature  cre- 
ates Normal  University,  396;  educa- 
tional conventions,  397;  Carbondale, 
site  of  Illinois  Normal  University, 
400;  University  opened,  402;  build- 
ing burned,  404;  the  New  Main  Build- 
ing, 406;  general  review,  407 

Hight,  James  F.,  758 

Hileman,  George  T.,  694 
•Hill,  William  S.,  732 

Hill,  William   H.,   1425 

Hill,  Robert  P.,  1089 

Hillman,  A.  C.,  378 

Hill's  fort,  432 

Hines,  Frank  B.,  386,   1685 

Hirons,  John  D..  1237 

Hodges,   Edmund  J.,   1485 


XXVI 


INDEX 


Hoffman,  Francis  A.,  251 

Hoffman,  George,  1626 

Hoffmeier,   Fred,    1316 

Hofsommer,  Charles  W.,  1114 

Hogue,  James  H.,  1466 

Hogue,  Wilson  Thomas,  386 

Holbrook,  Darius  B.,  427 

Holcomb,  Matthew  R.,  1562 

Holdoway,  John  A.,  897 

Holshouser,  William  0.,  1480 

"Homestead    Exemption   Law,"   235 

Hood,  Fred,  752 

Hoopes,  Thomas  F.,  1432 

Hopkins,  Frank,  585 

Hopp,   Edward  J.,   867 

Hord,  George  Y.,  1511 

Horn,  Henry,  ST.,  985 

Horn,  Mary  F.,  987 

Horn,  Thomas,  987 

Hostettler,  Henry  W.,  1244 

Hotels  (illustrations)— Old  Sweet  hotel, 
Kaskaskia,  162;  the  Rawlings  hotel, 
Shawneetown,  163;  old  Jonesboro  ho- 
tel, headquarters  of  Lincoln  and 
Douglas  (1858),  542 

Hovey,  Charles  E.,  396 

Howe,  Elbridge  Gerry,  176 

Howell  William  H.,  1472 

Hubbard,  Adolphus   Frederick,  164 

Hubbard,  William  H.,  1134 

Huddleston  Orphans'  Home,  380 

Hudgens,  Hiram  A.,  677 

Hudgens,  John  B.,  696 

Hudson,   Ira  J.,  719 

Huegely,  John,  Jr.,  1310 

Huegely,  Julius,  1173 

Huffman,  G.  Riley,  721 

Huffman,  George  H.,   734 

Hughes,  Aurelius  G.,  737 

Hull,  John,  407 

Hull,  Nathaniel,  509 

Hundley,  Robert  M.,  331 

Hunsaker,  George,  542 

Huntsinger,  Harrison  P.,  894 

Huthmacher,  Charles  C.,  1062 

Huthmacher,    George,    725 

Hynes,  Thomas  W.,  433 

"Illinois  Advocate  and  Lebanon  Jour- 
nal," 385 

Illinois  Agricultural  College — A  part  of 
the  General  System,  376;  created  by 
the  state,  377;  school  opens  in  1866, 
378;  uncertainty  as  to  status,  379 

Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal,  202,   223 

Illinois  Bankers'   Association,    416 

Illinois  Central  Railroad,  238 

Illinois   College,  385 

Illinois     College     of    Photography,     459 

Illinois  country,   62 

"Illinois  Emigrant,"    344 

"Illinois  Gazette."  344 

"Illinois  Herald,"  344 

"Illinois  Intelligencer."  346 

"Illinois  Monthly  Magazine,"  347 

"Illinois  Republican,"  346 

Illinois  State  Trust  Company,  1361 


Illinois  S  t  a  t  e — The  constitution  o  f 
1818;  first  state  election,  135 

Illinois  Teachers'   Association,   372 

"Illinois  Temperance  Herald,"  348 

Indiana  Territory — Harrison  and  the  In- 
dian problems,  104;  slavery  in  the 
territory,  105;  erection  of,  108;  War 
of  1812,  111;  matters  of  local  in- 
terest, 115;  a  second-class  territory, 
116;  a  retrospect,  119;  services  of 
Nathaniel  Pope,  129;  the  constitu- 
tional convention,  131;  immigration 
to  Illinois,  126;  Indian  trails,  357 

Indians — Great  families,  23;  Illinois  In- 
dians, 24;  great  chiefs,  25 

Industrial  League  of  Illinois,  376,  395 

Ingersoll,  Ezekiel  J.,  406,  650 

Ingersoll,  Robert  G.,  471 

Inglis,  Samuel  M.,  435 

Ingraham,  Charles  E.,  703 

Internal  Improvements,  201,   221,  229 

Irvin,  Cyrus  H.,  1190 

Irvington,    378 

Isley,  Albert  E.,  1491 

Jackson,  Charles  A.,  809 

Jackson  county — Settled  early  part  of 
nineteenth  century,  481;  salt  indus- 
try founded,  482;  Illinois  Central 
brings  settlers,  483;  Carbondale 
platted,  484;  coal  mining,  484;  Grand 
Tower,  484;  Murphysboro,  485 

Jackson,  Earl  B.,  1035 

Jackson,  James  W.,  1072 

Jacksonville,  178 

James,  Bennett,  1674 

James,  Fountain  E.,  1576 

James,  George  W.,  715 

Jasper  county — Newton,  the  county 
seat,  486;  population  and  agriculture, 
486;  villages  in  county,  486;  Mt.  Ver- 
non  made  the  county  seat,  489;  mili- 
tary record,  490;  car  shops,  490;  ju- 
dicial and  legal  center,  490;  Mt.  Ver- 
non  of  today,  491;  facts  of  interest, 
491 

Jenkins,  David  P.,  334 

Jenkins,  Henry  H.,  807 

Jennelle,  John  J.,   1464 

Jeremiah,  Thomas,    1212 

Jesuits,  60,   80 

Jinnette,  Ezekiel  R.,  1418 

Jo  Daviess  county,  174 

Johns,  Frederick  A.,  332 

Johnson,  Charles,    1638 

Johnson,  Edgar   F.,   1434 

Johnson,  Matthew,  75 

Johnson,  Stephen  A.,  1039 

Johnson.  William  L.,  910 

Johnson  county — Created  by  Governor 
Edwards.  492;  agriculture  and  stock 
raising,  492;  early  settlers,  494;  sla- 
very contest  (1823-4),  494;  Major 
Andrew  J.  Kuykendall,  495,  Clark 
passed  through  the  county,  495 

Johnston    City,    564 

Johnston,  James  F.,  1142 


INDEX 


XXVll 


Johnston,  William  H.,  708 

Joliet,  36,  40 

Jones,  Alfred  H.,  1486 

Jones,  Emsly,  481 

Jones,  Gabriel,   527 

Jones,  James,  348 

Jones,  James  M.,  966 

Jones,  Obadiah,   109 

Jones,  Robert   S.,   1541 

Jones,  Thomas  X.,  1470 

Jones,  William,  179 

Jones,  William  C.,  1563 

Jones'  fort,   432 

Jonesboro,  542 

Jonesboro  College,   385 

"Jonesboro  Gazette,"    348 

Joplin,  James  M.,  1236 

Joppa,  508 

Jordan,  Joshua,    547 

Jordan   brothers,   561 

Journalism — First  Illinois  newspapers, 
344;  slavery  question  stimulates 
journalism,  346;  uncertainty  of  pio- 
neer journalism,  346;  able  old-time 
editors,  347;  later  stimulating  issues, 
348;  papers  forced  to  suspend,  348; 
founded  prior  to  1880,  349 

Judd,  Norman  B.,  251 

Judy,  Samuel,  173 

Kane,  Elias  Kent,  157,  527 

Kane,  W.  C.,  868 

Kansas-Xebraska  act,  249 

Karraker,  Jacob,  1191 

Karraker,  O.    M.,    1192 

Karraker,  Thomas  N.,  992 

Karsteter,  William  R.,  968 

Kaskaskia,  49,  102,  110,  172,  524 

Kaskaskia,  Capture  of,  85 

Kaskaskia  eighteenth-century  mill,  ruins 

of    (illustration),   120 
Kaskaskia  Presbyterian  church,  176 
Kaskaskia  view   from  Fort  Gage,  342 
Kaskaskias,  24 
Kasserman,  Henry  M.,  1443 
Kasserman,  Rudolph  J.,  1405 
Keefe,  David  E.,   1481 
Keen,  Frank   B.,   683 
Keen,  John,  Jr.,  1646 
Keen,  Raab  D.,  1664 
Keener,  George  W.,  332 
Keith,  Leroy  G.,  712 
Keith,  L.  D.,  665 
Keller,  P.  J.,  964 
Kellogg,  A.  N.,   349 
Kellogg,  Elisha,   173 
Kellogg,  Seymour,    173 
Kellogg,  William  Pitt,   312 
Kelly,  Daniel  E.,  701 
Kelly,  George  H.,  1057 
Kennedy,  George,   1043 
Kennedy,  George,  Sr.,  1043 
Kennedy,  James   B.,  855 
Kennedy,  Marcus   L.,    904 
Keokuk  (chief),  183 
Kerley,  Thomas   B.,  666 
Keys'  Willard.  174 


Kickapoo  Indians,  25,  102 

Kidd,  Robert,    509 

Kimmel,  Singleton    H.,    344 

Kimzey,  Loranzey  D.,  922 

King,  Freeman,  942 

Kinney,  William,   180,  205 

Kirkham,  Robert,  329 

Kirkpatrick,  Cornwall   E.,  773 

Kirkpatrick,  R.  D.,  973 

Kitchell,  Joseph,    447 

Kneffner,  William  C.,  332 

Knights  of  the  Golden  Circle,  318,  322, 

539 

Knoph,  Aden,   1272 
Knox,  James,    250 
Koch,  Fred  J.,  1105 
Koenigsmark,  Alois  J.,  1048 
Koenigsmark,  Jacob  J.,  1047 
Koenigsmark,  John  J.,  930 
Koenigsmark,  Thomas,  1046 
Koennecke,  Frederick  H.,  1415 
Koerner,  Gustavus,    246,    251,    340,    533, 

534  (portrait) 
Kohn,  H.  H.,  640 
Kramer,  Edward  C.,  571 
Kramer,  James  H.,  1634 
Kuhls,  Frank  G.,  1133 
Kuny,  Frederick  J.,  1704 
Kuykendall,  Andrew  J.,  495 

Lackey,  George   W.,   1437 

Lacky,  William  A.,    882 

LaFayette,  160,   161    (portrait) 

Lamer,  Charles  R.,  1192 

Lamott  creek,  446 

Lamott  prairie,  446 

Land,  George  L.,  1702 

Langan,  Peter  T.,  644 

Lansden,  John  M.,  1672 

Largent,  W.  W.,  871 

LaSalle,    41 

Latham,  S.  W.,  881 

Lauder,  Hugh,   567 

Laughlin,  William  T.,  783 

La  Ville  de  Maillet   (Peoria),  174 

Lawler,  Michael  K.,   231,   327,  471 

Lawrence  county — Pioneer  French  set- 
tlers, 497;  the  deep  snow  and  milk 
sickness,  498;  schools,  498;  Charlottes- 
ville,  498;  old  trails  across  the  coun- 
ty, 498;  Lawrenceville,  the  county 
seat,  499;  oil  and  gas  wells,  499 

Lawrenceville,  499 

Lawrenceville  High  School  (illustra- 
tion), 499 

Layman,  Thomas   J.,  300,   1065 

Lead,  19,   174,  478 

Leavitt,  J.  A.,  385 

Lebanon  Seminary,  384 

Leib,  Daniel,   185 

Lemen,  James,  Sr.,  509 

Lengfelder  Brothers,    1520 

Lengfelder,  Charles  R.,   1521 

Lengfelder,  Gustavus   A.,   1521 

Lengfelder.  Louis  F.,  1522 

Lentz,  E.  Gilbert.  1112 

Leonhard.  Adolph  M.,  1452 


XXV111 


INDEX 


Leppo,  Frank  T.  I.,  1220 

Lesemann,  Philip  B.,  1260 

Levett's  Prairie,  439 

Levy,  Isaac  K.,  568 

Levy,  Mike,   1411 

Lewis,  Albert   W.,  1318 

Lewis,  Cassie  B.,  1177 

Lewis,  Elijah,    1066 

Lewis,  John  S.,  1013 

Lewis,  Steven  C.,  1273 

Libke,  Andrew   K.,   1667 

Lightner,  Alfred  S.,  1631 

Lillard,  Joseph,    122 

Lime,  17 

Limestone,  16 

Lincoln,  Abraham,  192,  204,  251,  255, 
304,  306,  308,  309  (portrait),  310 

Lincoln-Douglas  debate — Arrangements 
for,  256;  some  matters  of  local  inter- 
est, 257;  political  situation  in  South- 
ern Illinois  in  1858,  258;  at  Cairo, 
261;  Lincoln  in  Anna  and  Jonesboro, 
263;  at  Jonesboro,  267;  Douglas  at 
Benton,  300;  last  debate  at  Alton,  301 

Lindly,  Cicero  J.,  1546 

Linegar,  David  T.,  314 

Lingle,  Fred  L.,   597 

Lingle,  Willis   E.,   1134 

Link,  Robert  R.,  917 

Lippincott,  Thomas,   177 

Lippitt,  William  D.,  907 

Lockwood,  Jesse   C.,  476 

Log   school  house    (illustration),  371 

Logan,  John  A.,  231,  255,  314,  315,  316 
(portrait),  327,  467,  471,  485,  538,  539, 
563 

Logan,  Thomas  M.,  1148 

Long,  James   M.,  1321 

Looney,  William    A.,    615 

Lord,  Hugh,   75 

Louisiana,  61 

Louisville,  439,  441 

Lovejoy  (Elijah  Parish)  and  his  mar- 
tyrdom— a  moral  hero,  209;  Lovejoy 
becomes  an  editor,  210;  constitutional 
right,  211;  "Observer"  moved  to  Al- 
ton, 211;  mob  destroys  presses,  212; 
Lovejoy  a  martyr,  215 

Lovejoy  monument  (illustration),  Al- 
ton, 218 

Lovejoy,  Owen,  251 

Lowe,  Ausby  L.,  1435 

Lowis,  William  W.,  1120 

Lufkin,  John   E.,   1179 

Lusk,  Jack.  869 

Lyerly,  Andrew  J.,  627 
f     Lyerly,  William  D.,  729 

Lyle.  John  D.,   1198 

Lynch,  John,   531 

Lynn.  Charles,  1705 

Lyon,  Charles  M..  1431 

McAdams,  Clark,  28 
McAdams,  William,  28,  30 
McBaen.  William.  507 
McCall,  Daniel.    730 
McCann,  Oria   M.,   1661 


McCann,  Patrick  S.,  1147 

McCarley,  Herman,  896 

McCartney,  Marcus  N.,  1566 

McCaslin,  Warren  E.,  1130 

McClernand,  John  A.,  471 

McUintock,  Charles  E.,  779 

McClun,  J.  E.,  250 

McClure,  Chester  A.,  1669 

McClure,  John,  510 

McClusky,  Frederick  W.,  1291 

McCollum,  Harvey  D.,  1258 

McConnell,  Murray,  205 

McCormick,  Alphouso,  1159 

McCreery,  Walker  W.,  1286 

McCullom,  Vandalia,  463 

McCullough,  J.   S.,   243 

McElroy,  Isaac  N.,  983 

McElvain,  Robert  J.,  1100 

McEwing,  William,   515 

McFall,  William  W.,  1322 

McFarlan,  James,  ST.,  479 

McGehee,  Moses   P.,    1264 

McGoughey,  John  E.,  1257 

McGuyer,  John  B.,  1536 

Mcllrath,  Robert  J.,  962 

Mclntyre,  Aorman,   994 

McKeaig,  George  W.,  331 

McKee,  John  F.,  1052 

McKendree  College,  384 

McLaren,  Archibald  B.,  1254 

McLean,  John,  135,  157,  471 

Madison  county,  116 

Maeys,  Edward,   1627 

Maeys,  Jacob,    1627 

Mahan,  I.  S.,  378 

Main  street,  Elizabethtown  (illustra- 
tion), 482 

Maps — Showing  royal  grants,  33;  Amer- 
ican Bottom  (French  villages),  56; 
Clark's  route  from  Fort  Massac  to 
V  incennes,  91;  settled  portions  of  Il- 
linois in  1812,  113;  first  fifteen  state 
counties  (1818),  127;  showing  vote  on 
slavery  question  (1824),  158 

Marberry,  Oscar  J.,  447 

Marest,  Gabriel,  50 

Marion,  564 

Marion  county — Agriculture  and  live 
stock,  502 ;  Old  Salem,  the  county  seat, 
503;  "State  Policy"  abandoned,  503; 
father  of  William  J.  Bryan,  503;  Gen. 
James  S.  Martin,  504;  the  present  Sa- 
lem and  Centralia,  504;  late  discovery 
of  oil,  505 

Marker  of  Lincoln -Douglas  debate  at 
Jonesboro  (illustration),  266 

Marks,  Daniel,  451 

Marlow,  James   T.,  903 

Marquette,  35,  40 

Marquette  among  the  Indians,  (illus- 
tration), 36 

Marshall,   436 

Marshall.  Charles,  1483 

Marshall.  John,  125.   471 

Marshall,  John  A.,  321 

Martin,  Edward  A..  1639 

Martin,  George  E.,  616 


INDEX 


XXIX 


Martin,  James  H.,  676 

Martin,  James  S.,  331,  504 

Martin,  Sidney  C.,  654 

Massac  county — 226;  Old  Fort  Massac, 
506;  Metropolis  laid  off,  506;  Brook- 
port  (formerly  Brooklyn),  507;  Joppa, 
508;  drainage  and  agriculture,  508; 
the  old  fort  to  be  preserved,  508 

Mason,  Charles  H.,  1021 

Mason,  Tice  D.,  1595 

Matheny,  John  W.,  1413 

Mather,  Thomas,  195,  205,  527 

Mathews,   John,    176 

Mathews,  W.  A.,  385 

Mathis,  George  W.,  655 

Mathis,  John  B.,  887 

Mathis,  John  P.,   743 

Mathis,  Robert  D.,  798 

Matteson  (Joel  A.)  administration — 
Matteson  elected  governor,  246;  Illi- 
nois Central  built,  247 ;  slavery  agita- 
tion, 247;  Canal  scrip  fraud,  248; 
state  and  national  politics,  249 

Matthews,  William  A.,  654 

Maulding,  Ambrose,  489 

Maxey,  Bennett  M.,  1180 

Maxey,  James  C.,  490 

Maxey,  Moss,  1027 

Maxey,  Walter  S.,  1349 

May,  Leonidas  J.,   1094 

Maynard,  Charles  E.,   1504 

Mayo,  Walter  L.,  454 

Maysville,  439 

Meads,  Joseph  L.,  582 

Medill,  Joseph,   251 

Meirink,  Bernard  J.,  1219 

Menard,  Pierre,   117,   135,  141,  367,   521 

Mermet,  P.  J.,  50 

Merrifield.  Walter  E.,  1391 

Merritt,  Wesley,  504 

Meserve,  Frank  C.,   1169 

Methodists   (early),  122,  178 

Methodist  Episcopal  church,  Mt.  Carmel 
(illustration),  548 

Metropolis,   507 

Meyer,  Frantz  J.,  1033 

Meyer,  George  L.,   1333 

Meyer,  H.  A.,  435 

Mick,   Robert,    1420 

Military  Bounty  lands,   173 

Miller,  Alexander  W.,  1206 

Miller.  Andrew   E.,  591 

Miller,  Ernest  F.,   1087 

Miller,  James,  251.  255 

Miller,  Jesse  E.,  1673 

Miller,  John  P..  1326 

Miller,  John  W.,  1111 

Miller,  Robert  H.,  1087 

Miller,    Sidney  B.,   1475 

Mills,  Commodore,  1191 

Mills.  Charles  W..  673 

Mills,  Virgil  W.,  1641 

Millspaugh,  Albert  C.,  1354 

"Miner's  Journal."  347 

Mitchell.  H.  C.,  563 

Mitchell,  Henry  C.,  1064 

Mitchell.  James  C.,  1045 


Mitchell,  John  W.,  539,  540 

Mitchell.   Samuel  M.,  563 

Moffat,  Thomas,  1390 

Mohlenbrock,    William,    1278 

Molitor,  John,  1229 

Monken,  George  J.,  1102 

Monk's  Mound,  28 

Monroe  county — First  American  set- 
tlers, 509;  Jefferson's  estimate  of 
James  Lemen,  509;  old  Lemen  fort 
(second  brick  house  in  Illinois),  510; 
Thomas  Ford  and  Daniel  P.  Cook,  510; 
first  county  court,  510;  schools  and 
slaves,  511;  old  French  land  grants, 
511;  Elder  Peter  Rogers,  511;  Col. 
William  R.  Morrison,  512 

Mooneyham,  James  P.,  637 

Moore,   Carroll,   1170 

Moore,  Hosea  H.,   1630 

Moore,  Henry  W.,  234 

Moore,    James.    509 

Moore,  John,  222 

Moore,  John  W.,  583 

Moore,  Risdon  M.,  331 

Moore,  Thomas  L.,  553 

Moorehouse,   Thaddeus,   528 

Moorman,  Howard,   1029 

Morgan  county,  173 

Morgan,  Ambert  D.,  646 

Morgan,  Charles  E.,  947 

Morgan,  Harry  P.,  1561 

Morgan,  James   D.,  326 

Morgan,  Lewis  C.,  1343 

Mormons,  222,  224,  228 

Morony,  James  J.,  1128 

Morray,  Damie,   652 

Morris,  Buckner  S.,  252 

Morrison,   Joseph,    527 

Morrison,    William    R.,   231,    512 

Moss,  Douglass,  1507 

Moss,   Harry  C.,   1600 

Mound   City,    520 

Mounds,   523 

Mt.    Carmel,    549,    551 

Mt.  Vernon,  173,  179,  489 

Mozley,  Norman  J.,  668 

Muer,  A.  C.,   175 

Mulcaster,  John  G.,  761 

Munndell,  Cornelius  W.,  1531 

Murphy,  Penina  O.,  1654 

Murphy,  William  K.,  1652 

Murphysboro,  482,   485 

Murray,  Hugh  V..  1505 

Murrie.  William  J.,  664 

Musselman,  Edward,  943 

Nashville,   553 

"Nashville"  at  the  Golconda  wharf  (il- 
lustration), 518 

National  Cemetery  near  Mound  City  (il- 
lustration), 522 

National  road,  358,  360,  437.  451.  464 

National  Stock  Yards  National  Bank, 
1092 

Nauman.  John   A.,  1472 

Nauvoo,   224,   228 

Needham,  Daniel,  1160 


XXX 


INDEX 


Needles,  Thomas  B.,  1411 

Neely,  George  W.,  332 

Nelson,  Elijah,   528 

Nelson,  Snowden  B.,  955 

Nesbitt,  William  A.,  660 

Newbold,  Joseph  H.,   348 

Newby,  E.  W.  B.,  232 

New  Chartres,  55,  68,  69 

New  counties,  116,  118,  124,  141 

New  Design,  509 

New  Grand  Chain,  523 

Newland,  H.  W.,  322 

Newlin,  Enoch  E.,  1446 

Newlin,  LeRoy,   1518 

Newlin,  Thomas  J.,  1516 

Newton,  486 

Newton,  Lawrence  G.,  711 

Niebur,  B.  Clemens,  1095 

Nimms,  Alexander  J.,   330 

Ninety-seventh   Infantry   Regiment,  330 

Ninety-eighth  Infantry  Regiment,  330 

Ninth  Illinois  Infantry,  335 

Nixon,  Madison  G.,  1019 

Noleman,  Frank  F.,  1457 

Norris,  George  W.,  681 

Norton,  Jesse  O.,  250 

Northwest  Territory — Civil  government 
north  of  the  Ohio,  98;  ordinance  of 
1787  passed,  99;  government  organ- 
ized, 100;  conditions  in  Illinois,  100; 
local  government,  103 

Oakley,   Charles,  205 

Oblong,   449 

"Oblong  Oracle,"  449 

O'Connor,  Ephraim,  172 

O'Gara  Coal  Company,  The,  1224 

Ogilvie,  Lewis,  1598 

Oglesby,  Richard  J.,  251,  340,  341 

Ohio  valley,  struggle  for,  64 

Oil,  449,  499,  505 

Oil  in  transit  Lawrence  county  (illustra- 
tion), 500 

Oil  territory.  A  common  sight  in  (illus- 
tration), 450 

Okawville,   554 

Old  Illinois  Agricultural  College,  Irving- 
ton  (illustration),  379 

Old  Kaskaskia   disappears,   342 

"Old  Lemen  Fort,"  510 

Oldest  Illinois  publication  (facsmilie  of 
"Illinois  Herald,")  345 

Olmsted,   523 

Olney.    528 

One  Hundred  Ninth  Infantry  Regiment, 
330 

One  Hundred  Tenth  Infantry  Regiment, 
330 

One  Hundred  Eleventh  Infantry  Regi- 
ment. 331 

One  Hundred  Seventeenth  Infantry 
Regiment,  331 

One  Hundred  Twentieth  Infantry  Regi- 
ment, 331 

One  Hundred  Twenty-eighth  Infantry 
Regiment.  331 

One  Hundred  Thirty-first  Infantry  Regi- 
ment. 331 


One  Hundred  Thirty-sixth  Infantry  Regi- 
ment, 332 

One  Hundred  Forty-third  Infantry  Regi- 
ment, 332 

One  Hundred  Forty-fourth  Infantry 
Regiment,  332 

One  Hundred  Forty-fifth  Infantry  Regi- 
ment, .332 

One  Hundred  Forty-ninth  Infantry  Regi- 
ment, 332 

One  Hundred  Fiftieth  Infantry  Regi- 
ment, 332 

Ozburn,  Harry   0.,    1602 

Ozburn,  John  L.,  611 

Ozment,  Marshall,  1042 

Page,  Oliver  J.,  1514 

Palestine,  447 

Palmer,  Elihu  J.,  399 

Palmer,  John  M.,  251,  258,  305,  338 

Palmyra,  549 

Pape,  Gustavus,  526,  952 

Parish,  John  J.,  846 

Parish,  William  H.,  844 

Park,  Edmund  C.,  1246 

Park,  Roswell,  529 

Parker,  Charles  A.  C.,  781 

Parker,  George  N.,  1424 

Parkinson,  Daniel  B.,  407,  1602 

Parmly,  Walter  D.,  1459 

Parrish,  Braxton,  466 

Parsons,  George,  1188 

Parsons,  S.  H.,  99 

"Patent  inside,"  349 

Pautler,  Nicholas  B.,  972 

Pavey,  C.  W.,   341 

Pavey,  Louis  G.,  1185 

Payne,  William  S.,   1340 

Pearce,   Jo  R.,    852 

Peck,  Ebenezer,  205 

Peck,  John  M.,  153,  348,  371,  372,  376, 
382,  534 

Peeler.  Samuel  D.,  1414 

Pellett,  Ezra  B.,  794 

Peltier,  P.  P..  511 

Penvler,  Hugh,  1495 

Peoria,  174 

Permanent  settlements — Kaskaskia  set- 
tled, 49;  grants  of  land,  52;  war  and 
progress,  58 

Perrine,  William  A.,  1312 

Perry  county — Pioneer  settlers  and  inci- 
dents, 513;  Pinckneyville  selected  as 
county  seat,  514;  first  circuit  court, 
515;  DuQuoin  and  Tamaroa,  515 

Perry.  Enos.  670 

"Perry  County  Times,"  515 

Perry'ville,  462 

Personeau.  Etienne.  532 

Pflasterer.  Frank.  963 

Phillips,  A.  J..  261.  264 

Phillips,  David  L..  261 

Phillips.  D.  W..  378 

Phillips.  John  E..  1386 

Phillips.  William  H.,  619 

Phillips.  Winfield    S..    1371 

Philp.  Harry  0.,  1303 

Piankashawtown.  455 


INDEX 


xxxi 


Piasa  bird,  32,  38    (illustration) 

Piatt,  Hiram  H.,  1388 

"Picket  Guard,"  349 

Pickrell,  Andrew  J.,  775 

Picquet,  Joseph,   1712 

Pictographs  on  Illinois  river  bluffs,  (il- 
lustrations), 31 

Pier,  Charles  S.,  1688 

Piercy,  Willis  D.,  1284 

Piggott's   fort,   509 

Fillers,  George  W.,  835 

Pinckneyville,  514 

Pinkel,  Armin   B.,    1378 

Pinkstaff,  John,  498 

Pioneer  monument  at  Old  Kaskaskia, 
(illustration),  343 

"Pioneer  of  the  Valley  of  the  Missis- 
sippi," 348 

Pippin,  W.  H.,  1252 

Pitner,  Homer  W.,  1643 

Pixley,  Harvey  F.,  1265 

Plummer,  Walter  B.,   1453 

Pontiac,  26,  73 

Poorman,  Andrew  J.,  Jr.,  1606 

Pope  county — Sarahville  (Golconda), 
the  county  seat,  516;  educational  and 
social,  516;  noted  personages,  517; 
"Great  Medicine  Water,"  518;  statis- 
tics, 518 

Pope,  B.  F.,  Sr.,  823 

Pope,  Benjamin  W.,  823 

Pope,  Nathaniel,  109,   128,   129,  366,  444 

Pope,  Payton  S.,  621 

Pope,  Pleasant  N.,  837 

Porter,  Edward  K.,  800 

Porterfield,  John  F.,  1279 

Portraits — George  Rogers  Clark,  83; 
Abraham  Lincoln,  309 ;  John  A.  Logan, 
316;  Edward  Coles,  149;  Henry  Eddy, 
154;  Lafayette,  161;  Black  Hawk, 
185;  Clark  Braden,  389;  Peter  White, 
473;  James  C.  Maxcy,  488;  Gustavus 
Koerner,  534;  Samuel  Westbrook,  539 

Posey,  Thomas,  471 

Post,  Frank  H.,  1031 

Potter,  William   O.,   1010 

Potthast,  Fred,  1213 

Powell,  Alfred  E.,  786 

Powell,  H.   K.,    1155 

Powell,  William  H.,  251 

Prairie  areas,  21 

Prairie  du  Pont,  535 

Prairie  du  Rocher,  55,   59   (winter  view) 

Prehistoric  people — Evidences  of,  27 ;  the 
Cahokia  mounds.  28;  implements,  pot- 
tery and  pictographs,  30 

Prehistoric  relics  from  Wabash  county 
(illustration),  26,  29 

Prentiss,  B.   M..   324 

Presbyterians    (early),   122,   176 

Press   (See  Journalism) 

Price,  George   B.,   445 

Prill,  Max,   1558 

Proctor,  David  Choate,  176 

Protestant  churches  (early),  121 

Pruett   Family,  the,  1474 

Public  schools — First  American,  365; 
basis  of  Illinois  system,  366;  primi- 


tive school  houses,  369;  conventions 
to  encourage  public  education,  370; 
best  friends  of  the  cause,  372;  state 
law  of  1855,  373;  present  system  of 
public  education,  373 

Pulaski  county — Caledonia,  the  old 
county  seat,  519;  Mound  City  of  the 
earlier  times,  520;  General  M.  M.  Raw- 
lings,  520;  plans  for  the  great  em- 
porium city,  521;  Union  Block,  Civil 
war  hospital,  522";  the  present  Mound 
City,  523;  villages  of  the  county,  523 

Pulley,  Lewis  B.,  999 

Quick,  Thomas,  378 

Quincy,  174 

Quindry,  S.  Eugene,  1588 

Raab,  Henry,  341 

Raddle,  Frank  J.,  1621 

Railroad  strike  of  1877,  340 

Railroads,  203,  236,  237,  503 

Rainey,  Henry  T.,  338 

Raith,  Julius,  328 

Raleigh,  538 

Randolph  county— County  and  state  his- 
tory parallel,  524;  Kaskaskia  court 
house  of  1819,  525;  a  slave  county, 
529;  population,  1825-1840,  525;  coun- 
ty seat  moved  to  Chester,  526;  decline 
of  Kaskaskia,  527 ;  on  the  ramparts  of 
Old  Fort  Gage,  527 

Rapp,  Frederick  G.,  1137 

Rapp,  Isaac,  405,  636 

Rapp,  John  M.,  1644 

Rathbone,  Valentine,  849 

Rathbone,  Walter  R.,  849 

Raum,  Green  B..  329 

Raum,  John,  517 

Rawlings,  M.  M.,  205.  520 

Rawstron,  R.  N.,   1650 

Ray's  settlement,  494 

Rea,  Herman  M.,  1259 

Reardon,  James  S.,  327 

Rebman,  Emma,  1709 

Rector,  John  T.,  362 

Rector.  Nelson,  115,  476 

Reed,  Frank  S.,  690 

Reed,  John,  75 

Reed,  Joseph  B..  688 

Rees,  Samuel  H.,  736 

Reichert,  August,  1628 

Reichcrt,  John  F.,  1570 

Reinhardt.  0.  F.,  1565 

Renault,  Phillip,   207 

Renault  land  grant.  511 

Rendleman.  Andrew  J.,  598 

Rendleman.  Drake  H..  1575 

Renfro,  John  H.  B.,  706 

Renfro.  Robert   E.,   705 

"Republican  Advocate."  346 

Repudiation  of  state  debt,  221,  223 

Residences — (illustrations),  John  Mar- 
shall's residence.  Shawneetown,  125; 
John  A.  Logan's  home  at  Benton,  466; 
childhood  home  of  William  J.  Bryan, 
Salem,  504;  residence  of  the  late  Wil- 
liam R.  Morrison,  Waterloo.  513;  man- 


XXX11 


INDEX 


sion  of  Pierre  Menard,  near  old  Fort 
Gage,  525;  home  of  Daniel  Stookey, 
near  Belleville,  still  standing,  535 

Reuter,  Theodore  L.,  1231 

Revolutionay  flag  owned  by  Robinson 
brothers,  Shawneetown  (illustration), 
469 

Reynolds,  H.  G.,  400,  401 

Reynolds,  John,  167,  255,  533 

Reynolds,  Marcus  Green,  483 

Reynolds,  Thomas,   527 

Reynolds  (John)  administration — How 
Governor  Reynolds  was  elected,  180; 
the  inaugural  message,  181 ;  deep  snow 
of  1830-1,  182;  the  Black  Hawk  war, 
183;  call  to  arms,  184;  the  end,  190; 
second  half  of  administration,  192 

Rhodes,  Orange  H.,  659 

Rich,  George  D.,  580 

Rich,  George  W.,  1129 

Rich,  Robert  L.,    1109 

Richards,  J.  H.,  343 

Richardson,  A.  M.,  31 

Richardson,  James  A.,  489 

Richardson,  William  A.,  252 

Richart,  Fred  W.,  1007 

Richland  county — Conditions  in  1820, 
528;  Elijah  Nelson  and  Roswell  Park, 
528;  customs  of  early  settlers,  529; 
the  hard  year,  1881,  530;  first  insti- 
tutions, 530;  the  Civil  war,  531;  Ol- 
ney,  531 

Rickert,  Nelson,    949 

Rickman,  Joshua  H.,  1210 

Rider,  William  H.,  383 

Ridgeway,  Thomas  S.,  340,  471 

Risley,  Theodore,  549 

Ritter,  Charles  L.,  1209 

River  steamers  on  the  marine  ways, 
Mound  City  (illustration),  520 

Roads  (early),  357 

Roberts  Family,  926 

Roberts,  George  W.,  1131 

Roberts,  Harry"  W.,  930 

Roberts,  Ira  T.,  1017 

Roberts,  John  F.,  586 

Robinson,  447 

Robinson,  J.,  540 

Robinson,  James  C.,  314 

Robinson,  Luther   F.,   1222 

Robinson  Township  High  School  (illus- 
tration), 448 

Robison,  Thomas  L.,  1151 

Rock  Springs,   173,   382 

Rock  Spring  Seminary,  382;  (illustra- 
tion), 383 

Rodenberg,  William  A.,  1508 

Roedel,  Carl,  1243 

Rogers.  Peter,  511 

Rogers  Seminary,  511 

Ronalds,  K.  C..  608 

Rose,  Albert  M.,  J535 

Rose,  James  A..  517 

Rose.  Pleasant  W.,  776 

Rosiclare,  478 

Ross,  Charles  H.  S.,  948 

Rothrock.  Walter  S..  1583 


Rude,  Hankerson,  538 
Ruf,  John,  Jr.,   1093 
Russell,  John,  376 
Russell,  William,  111 
Russellville,  497 
Rutherford,  Friend  S.,  330 
Rutherford,  Larkin,   509 

Sabin,  Frank  A.,  777 

Saguinn   (Blackbird),  25 

Sailor  Springs,  441,  442 

Ste.  Anne,  71 

St.  Clair,  Arthur,  100,  101,  532 

St.  Clair  county,  100,  102 

St.  Clair  county's  first  court  house  (now 
in  Jackson  Park,  Chicago),  533 

St.  Clair  county — General  St.  Clair 
creates  the  county,  532;  county  seat 
transferred  from  Cahokia  to  Belleville, 
532;  early  settlements,  532;  German 
immigrations,  533;  John  Reynolds  and 
John  M.  Peck,  533 ;  Cahokia  and  Prairie 
du  Pont,  534;  the  present  county  and 
county  seat,  535;  Charles  Dickens  and 
son,  536;  East  St.  Louis,  537 

St.  Francisville,  497 

St.  Joseph's   academy,  511 

St.  Marie,  487 

St.  Phillipe,  55,  71 

Salem,  503,  504 

Saline  county — Pioneer  events,  538; 
county  seat  located  at  Raleigh,  538; 
political  history,  538;  Civil  war  sen- 
timent, 539;  Harrisburg,  540;  Eldo- 
rado, 540;  Carrier  Mills,  540;  the  old 
stone  fort,  540 

Saline  river,  354 

Salt,  18,  433,  472,  482,  484 

Salzmann,  Ferdinand,  1389 

Sanders,  Carl  D.,  1348 

Sandstone,  17 

Sangamon  country,   157,  159 

"Sangamon  Spectator,"  348 

Sarahville   (Golconda),  516 

Sargent,  Winthrop,  100,  101 

Sauer,  Albert  N.,  714 

Sauer,  George  N.,   1443 

Sauer,  Nicholas,  1439 

Sauer,  Philip  E.,  1442 

Saussier.  Jean  B.,  68 

Schaefer,  Charles,  963 

Schaefer,  Herman  L.,  1671 

Scharfenberger,  Frank,  1018 

Schatz,  William,  870 

Schauerte,  Kasper,   1283 

Schmidgall,  John  L..  643 

Schmidt,  Henry  E.,  1116 

Schmitt.  Edward  G.,  1110 

Schorr,  John  S.,  1004 

Schroeder,  Edward  A.,  1581 

Schroeder,  Henry  W.,  1088 

Schuh.  Paul   G.,   1703 

Schulmeister.  Ernst  F.,  1009 

Schurmann.  Edward.   1657 

Schuwerk.  William  M..  1162 

Schwartz,  William,    1458 

Schwartz,  William  A.,  1034 


INDEX 


XXXlll 


Schwarzlose,  Gideon,  1641 

Scott,  Charles  L.,  1665 

Scott,  J.  H.,  594 

Scott,  Thomas  W.,  557 

Scudamore,  Joseph  B.,  1618 

Seaman,  Jonathan,  1146 

Seeber,  William  P.,  788 

Second  Cavalry  Regiment,  333 

Seed,  Maurice  J.,  1370 

Seeley,  John,  366 

Seely,  Samuel  J.,  120 

Sellers,  George  Eschol,  472 

Sessions,  A.  Ney,  1048 

Seten,  Ross,   1351 

Seventh  Cavalry  Regiment,  333 

Seventy-first  Infantry    Regiment,   329 

Shadle.  Jacob,  440 

Shaw,  Charles  W.,  1658 

Shaw,  John,   151 

Shaw,  John  W.,  622 

Shaw,  Raleigh  M.,  1676 

Shawneetown,  125,  173 

Sheets,  John  M.,  1288 

Sheley,  Laurence  B.,  1063 

Shelton,  William,  385 

Shields,  James,  527 

Shoupe,  Walter  C.,  1091 

Shriner,  Harvey  W.,  1255 

Shryock,  Henry  W.,  1214 

Shull,  John,  175 

Shurtleff  College,  383 

Sims,  Horace  R.,  885 

Simpson,  John  C.,  970 

Simpson,  S.  S.,  435 

Sixth  Cavalry  Regiment,  333 

Sixtieth  Infantry  Regiment,  329 

Sixty-second  Infantry   Regiment,  329 

Sixty-third  Infantry  Regiment,  329 

Sizemore,  M.  Wilson,  1025 

Skaggs,  Charles  P.,  888 

Skaggs,  Pryor  L.,  889 

Slack,  William  P.,  753 

Slade,  Charles,  192,  444 

Slade,  James  P.,  435 

Slater,  W.  Frank,  1005 

Slavery  in  the  Illinois  country,  105 

Slavery  in  the  state,  150,  207,  247,  346, 

434,  494,   525 
Slocum,  Rigdon  B.,  181 
Sloo,  Thomas,  164 
Small,  William  M.,  498 
Smith,  Decatur  A.,  891 
Smith,  Dudley  C.,  332 
Smith,  Egbert   A.,    1560 
Smith,  Frank  S.,  698 
Smith,  George  W.,  243,  312,  1714 
Smith.  Henry  M.,  1167 
Smith,  James,  121 
Smith,  James  B.,  1707 
Smith.  Joseph,  224 
Smith.  Randolph,  1269 
Smith,  Rozander,  547,  551 
Smith,  Sarah  A.,  1167 
Smith,  Theophilus  W.,  197,  202,  346 
Smith,  Thomas  B.  F.,  1296 
Fmith,  Ulysses  E.,  722 
Smith,  Virginius  W.,   1305 


Smith,  Walter  S.  D.,  994 

Snider,  Andrew  L.,  1404 

Snoddy,  Lewis  O.,  1599 

Snodsmith,  John,  1529 

Snyder,  Adam  W.,  222 

Snyder,  John,  68 

Social  life  (early),  123 

Soils,   10 

Sondag,  William,  981 

Sons,  Walter,  1633 

Southern  Collegiate  Institute,  386 

Southern  Illinois  College,  388  (illustra- 
tion) 

Southern  Illinois  College — First  building 
erected,  387;  the  "Herald  of  Truth," 
388;  college  revived,  389;  closed  in 
1870,  391 

Southern  Illinois  high  schools,  394 

Southern  Illinois  Hospital  for  the  In- 
sane, Anna  (illustration),  543 

Southern  Illinois  Milling  &  Elevator 
Company,  1696 

Southern  Illinois  Normal  University, 
391,  395,  400,  401,  403,  405,  406  and 
407  (illustrations) 

Spanish-American  War,  334 

Spann,  William  A.,  1554 

Specie  circular,  197 

"Spectator,"  344 

Spencer,  Thomas  J.,  402 

Spiller,  Adelbert  L.,  592 

Spiller,  William  F.,  803 

Spivey,  Allen  T.,  1215 

Sprague,  Daniel   G.,   176 

Sprigg,  Ralph  E.,  1465 

Springfield  selected  as  state  capital,   204 

Sprinkle,  Michael,  469 

Sproul,  Alexander  B.,  857 

Stahlheber,  Charles,  1449 

Staley,  George  A.,  1639 

Staley,  Ulla  S.,  1635 

"Star  of  the  West,"  344,  346 

Starved  Rock  (illustration),  46 

State  Bank  of  Illinois,  166,  182,  194, 
198,  200,  223 

State  capitals — Kaskaskia,  137;  Vanda- 
lia,  139 ;  Springfield,  204 

State  Normal  University,  396 

"State  Policy,"  236,  503 

State  Teachers'  Association,  395 

State  Teachers'  Institute,  396 

Stead,  W.  H.,  242 

Steeker,  Rudolph,  1053 

Stelle,  Thompson  B..  475 

Stephenson,  Benjamin,  124,  128 

Stephenson,  James  W.,  205 

Stephenson,  Thomas  B.,  954 

Steward,  Lewis,   340 

Stewart,  James  C.,  782 

Stewart,  Warren,  334 

Steyer,  Theodore,  516 

Stilwell,  C.  D.,  1279 

Stirling,  Thomas,   75 

Stockade  and  blockhouses  (about  1812), 
(illustration),  112 

Stock  certificate  of  Cairo  City  and  Canal 
Company  (illustration),  239 


XXXIV 


INDEX 


Stone,  16 

Stonecipher,  John  S.,  1544 

Stonefort,  540 

Stookey,  Vincent  A.,  840 

Stotlar,  Harry,  1495 

Stout,  Amos  N.,  1395 

Stout,  John  B.,   1476 

Stratton,  Charles    T.,    341 

Stringer,  Daniel  W.,  1553 

Stringer,  William  M.,  1051 

Strong,  Judson  E.,  828 

Sullins,  Thomas  B.,  1375 

Sunnyside  coal  mine,  Herrin  (illustra- 
tion), 562 

Supreme  court  building,  Mt.  Vernon  (il- 
lustration), 490 

Suspension  bridge  across  the  Kaskaskia, 
Carlyle  (illustration),  444 

Sutherland,  Prior  W.,  498,  1710 

Swanner,  Francis  A.,  642 

Sweitzer,  John,  1145 

Swift,  Eben,  334 

Swift,  Hardy  M.,  1178 

Sycamore  near  Mt.  Carmel  (illustration), 
13 

Taffee,  John  G.,  850 
Talley,  Henry,  1151 
Talley,  Richard,  1149 
Tamaroa,  515 
Tanner,  James  M.,  1647 
Tanner,  John  R.,  341,  343 
Taylor,  Harry,  1380 
Taylor,  Joseph  H.,  1385 
Taylor,  Robert  M.,  1381 
Taylor,  Samuel  L.,  1572 
Taylor,  S.  Staats,  431 
Taylor,  Zachary,  115 
Tecumseh,  25 

Tenth  Infantry  Regiment,  326 
Templeton,  James  S.,  874 
Templeton,  Robert  B.,  1467 
Terpinitz,  Joseph  E.,  264 
Terry,  Henry,  684 
Teutopolis,  459 
Thacker,  Francis  B.,  1408 
Thebes,  431 

Third  Cavalry  Regiment,  333 
Thirteenth  Cavalry  Regiment,  334 
Thirtieth  Infantry  Regiment,  327 
Thirty-first  Infantry  Regiment,  327 
Thirty-eighth  Infantry  Regiment,  328 
Thistlewood,  Napoleon  B.,  1551 
Thomas,  Benjamin  F.,  1668 
Thomas,  Jesse  B.,  109,  367,  527 
Thomas,  William  W.,  792 
Thomason,  John  W.,  1230 
Thompson,  Sam  A.,  1336 
Thomson,  William,  725 
Thrash.  William  H.,  1545 
Throgmorton,  Emmet  F.,  764 
Tibbets.  Albert  S.,  757 
Tillson  (Mrs.),  John,  177 
Timber,  12 
Timber  areas,  21 

"Tippecanoe  and  Tyler  Too"  campaign, 
220 


Titus,  William  S.,  1429 

Tobacco  field,  Clay  county  (illustration), 
441 

Todd,  John,  95,   100 

Tohill,  Noah  M.,   1406 

Toler,  Silas  C.,  329 

Tolliver,  Alsie  N.,  1276 

Tomb  of  Gen.  Alexander  Posey,  Shaw- 
neetown  (illustration),  471 

Tonti,  42 

Tougas,  Frank,  497 

Tougas  brothers,  547 

Tourney's  fort,  443 

Towle,  Herman  T.,  840 

Towle,  Joseph  W.,  839 

Trainor,  William  E.,  1426 

Transportation — Early  river  boats,  353; 
Southern  Illinois  waterways,  354;  pio- 
neer trails  and  roads,  357;  government 
highways,  358;  work  of  the  state,  363 

Trautmann,  William   E.,  984 

Treat,  Cyrus  P.,  804 

Trousdale,  Fletcher  A.,   639 

True,  James  M.,  329 

"Truth  Teller,"  445 

Tufts,  Charles  D.,  1359 

Turkey  Hill,  176 

Turner,  James  W.,  1238 

Turner,  J.  B.,  372 

Tuthill,  Lewis  B.,  724 

Tuttle,  Isaac  R.,  865 

Twelfth  Infantry  Regiment,  327 

Twenty-second   Infantry   Regiment,   327 

Twenty-ninth   Infantry   Regiment, '  327 

Ullrich,  William,  931 

"Underground"  railroad  station,  St. 
Clair  county  (illustration),  536 

Union  Block,  521,    (illustration),  522 

Union  county — First  settlers,  541;  Jones- 
boro  made  the  county  seat,  542;  the 
Willard  family,  542;  Colonel  John  S. 
Hacker,  543;  vegetables  and  fruits, 
544;  minerals  and  mineral  springs, 
544;  towns,  545 

United  States  Bank,  197 

University  of  Vincennes,  367 

I'pton,  David,  475 

Valter,  Peter  J.,  1356 

Van  Arsdall,  Elmer,  1270 

Van  Cleve,  M.  T.,  540 

Vandalia,   139,    173,  463 

Van  Kirk.  Samuel  A.,  671 

Varnum,  Benjamin  B.,  958 

Varnum,  James  M.,  100 

Venerable,  James  E.,  1122 

Vernor,  George,  1346 

Vick,  John  W.,  1015 

Victor,  William  A.,  1690 

Vienna,  494 

View    of   the    Mississippi    from    Chester 

water  tower,  526 
Villa  Ridge,  523 

Vincennes — Route  to.  90;  capture  of,  93 
Vise,  Harvey  C.,  1311 
Vise,  Hosea'A.,  593 


INDEX 


XXXV 


Vogel,  Henry,   1410 
Vogelpohl,  Henry  F.,  1268 
Voris,  Hardy  C.,  1196 
Voyles,  Lloyd  F.,  1585 

Wabash  county — Four  Tougas  brothers, 
first  settlers,  547;  the  three  block 
forts,  547;  timber  and  saw  mills,  549; 
milk  sickness,  549;  shif tings  of  the 
county  seat,  549;  aboriginal  remains, 
561;  notes  from  nature,  561;  tlie  Wa- 
bash and  Mount  Carmel,  561;  live 
stock  raising,  561 

Walker,  Allen  E.,  1585 

Walker,  Cecil,  1430 

Walker,  D.  Esco,  718 

Walker,  H.  R.,  833 

Walker,  Jesse,  178 

Walker,  Lindorf,  1102 

Walker,  Pinckney  J.,   833 

Wall,  James  B.,  1382 

Wall  mill,  530 

Wall,  William  A.,  754 

Wall.  William  T.,  864 

Wallace,  Coke  B.,  946 

Wallace,  Thomas  L.,  940 

Wallace,  William  S.,  971 

Waller,  Elbert,  1227 

Walnut  Hill,  503 

Walser,  C.  R.,  763 

\Valser,  Gaither  C.,  1619 

Walters,  Peter  C.,  1582 

Ward,  Adam,  1611 

Ward,  Francis  M.,  1082 

Ward,  George  F.  M.,  1524 

Ward,  Guy  C.,  327 

Ward,  Harry  B.,  1394 

Ward,  Henry  B.,  1524 

Ward,  Julius  H.,  989 

Ward,  Robert  R.,  1001 

Ward,  Todd  P.,  1524 

War  of  1812,  111 

Warren,  Hooper,  344,  348 

Warren,  Willie  E.,  1611 

Washburn,  Benjamin  L.,  1076 

Washburn,  Cicero  L.,  1494 

Washburn,  John,  385 

Washburne,  Elihu  B.,  250 

Washington  county— County  seat  con- 
tentions, 552;  Nashville  finally  se- 
lected, 553;  court  houses,  553;  city  of 
Nashville,  553;  minor  towns,  554 

Wastier,  Peter,  604 

Waterloo,  511 

Watson,  Andrew,  1455 

Wayne  county — First  settlers  and  events, 
555;  first  county  seat,  555;  in  the 
wars,  556;  Capt.  Thomas  W.  Scott, 
557;  Fairfield,  557;  farm  values,  557 

Wayne  county  corn  fields  (illustration), 
556 

Weaver,  James  R.,  1461 

Weaver,  Louis    H.,    1666 

Webb,  Byford  H.,  770 

Webb.  Isaac  H.,  1402 

Webb,  Henry   L.,  428 

Webber,  Andrew  J.,  1307 


Weber,  Mathias,  1686 

Weber,  T.  C.,  1688 

Wehrenberg,  Charles,   741 

Weinel,  August  F.,   1071 

Welborn,  George   B.,  1522 

Wentworth,  John,   251 

West,  Emanuel  J.,  346 

Westbrook,  Samuel    (portrait),   539 

"Western  Emporium,"  347 

"Western  Monthly  Magazine,"  347 

"Western  Observer,"  348 

Western  Stage  Company,  362 

Wheatley,  Reuben  J.,  921 

Wheeler  Brothers,   1548 

Wheeler,  Charles  B.  1549 

Wheeler,  Charles  W.,  589 

Wheeler,  Fred  L.,  1550 

Wheeler,  Walter  A.,  1584 

Whitcomb,  Augustus  L.,  386 

Whiteaker,  Hall,   747 

Whiteaker,  Mark,    1328 

Whiteaker,  William  J.,  901 

White,  Horace,  '256,  258,  265 

White,  Isaac,   559 

White,  James  A.,  1008 

White,  W.  Thomas,  915 

White  county — Original  physical  fea- 
tures, 558;  the  county  and  its  spon- 
sor, 558;  early  visitors,  559;  Carmi, 
the  county  seat,  559;  Enfield,  560; 
early-day  wild  pigeon  roost,  560 

Whitehead,  Noel,  787 

Whiteside,  Samuel,    115,    185,    186 

Whiteside,  William,  115 

Whiteside  station   (fort),  509 

Whitley,  Marion  S.,  1280 

Whittenberg,  Alonzo  L.,  1680 

Whittenberg,  Daniel  W.,   1681 

Whittenberg,  John   S.,   1680 

Whittenbergs,  1679 

Wiebusch,  Alfred  C.  C.,  960 

Wiegmann,  Louis,   1456 

Wilcox.  J.  H.  G.,  507 

"Wild  Cat"  banks,  245,  415 

Wiley,  William  W.,  771 

Wilkins,  John,   75 

Will,  Albert  J.,  587 

Will,  Conrad,  172,  482 

Willard,  Elijah,  205,  543 

Willard,  Jonathan,  542 

Willard,  Samuel,  167 

Willard,  Simon,  812 

William  County  Fair,  Marion  (illus- 
trated), 563 

Williams,  Billy,  429 

Williams,  John  C..  1556 

Williams,  Walter  W.,  935 

Williams,  William   Green,   483 

Williams,  William   H.,    1016 

Williams,  William   M.,   680 

Williamson,  Albert  W.,  649 

Williamson,  Thomas   B.,   1294 

Williamson  county — Last  of  Indians, 
561;  the  Jordan  brothers,  561;  indus- 
tries, 562;  Mexican  and  Civil  war 
matters,  562;  towns  in  the  county, 
564 


XXXVI 


INDEX 


Williard,  Willis,   543 

Willis,  Jonathan   C.,   791 

Willis,  William  A.,   1218 

Wilson,  Albert  L.,  937 

Wilson,  Alexander,    470 

Wilson,  Harrison,  471 

Wilson,  Henry,  1126 

Wilson,  J.   C.,    1648 

Wilson,  Lyman  W.,  1597 

Wilson,  S.  J.  Harry,  819 

Wilson,  William,   157 

Wilson,  William  A.,  1166 

Wilson,  William  P.,  1181 

Wilson,  William  S.,  912 

Wing,  Robert  H.,  806 

Winnebago  war   (scare),  170,  183 

Winter  of  the  deep  snow    (1830-1),  182 

Winthrop,  Dempsey,  991 

Wisehart,  William,   1695 

Woelrle,  Francis  R.,  686 

Wood,  George  H.,  606 


Wood,  James  N.,  608 

Wood,  John,  146,  174,  256 

Wooden     pipe    used    at     Equality    Salt 

Works    (illustration),  472 
Woodside.  Edward  E.,  709 
Woodworth,  Abner  P.,  1281 
World's      Columbian      Exposition      (see 

World's  Fair) 
World's  Fair,  Chicago,  341 
Wren,  John,  538 
Wright,  Joel,  205 
Wylie,  Walter  L.,  1202 

Yates,  Richard,  251,  314,  343 
Youngblood,  Dewitt  C.,   1338 
Young,  George  W.,  1700 
Young,  John  G.,  1345 

Zenia,  439,  441 
Ziebold,  George  C.,   1368 
Ziebold,  George  W.,  1366 


HISTORY  OF 
SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


CHAPTER  I 
SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  GEOLOGY 

CIVILIZATION  BASED  ON  GEOLOGY — GENERAL  SCIENTIFIC  PHASE — THE 
GEOLOGICAL  ERAS — TABLE  OP  GEOLOGICAL  TIME  DIVISIONS — THE  GLA- 
CIAL PERIOD. 

It  it  a  well  known  principle  in  educational  processes  that  things  are 
really  known  only  as  they  are  seen  in  their  relation.  Objects  and  sub- 
jects of  study  are  wholly  unexplainable  when  dissociated  from  one 
another.  The  physician  who  is  called  to  the  bedside  of  the  fever  patient 
no  longer  begins  his  treatment  by  making  up  large  doses  of  medicine  to 
reduce  the  fever,  but  proceeds  to  an  examination  of  the  blood  of  the 
patient  for  the  presence  of  typhoid  or  other  fever  germs.  If  these  are 
found  his  treatment  is  governed  accordingly.  This  examination  pur- 
poses to  discover  the  cause  of  the  illness;  and  the  cause  of  the  illness 
will  in  a  very  large  degree  determine  the  method  of  treatment. 

Science,  in  general  terms,  is  the  knowledge  of  things  in  their  rela- 
tion. No  study  in  the  school  curriculum  has  been  more  thoroughly 
rationalized  within  recent  years  than  have  the  geographical  studies. 
Formerly  we  merely  asked  the  child  to  give,  in  his  answer  to  a  question, 
the  bare  fact,  never  the  explanation.  The  child  learned  that  the  Amazon 
is  the  largest  river  in  the  world.  He  was  not  asked  to  see  the  relation  of 
the  Amazon  river  to  its  drainage  basin,  nor  to  the  equatorial  calm  belt, 
the  trade  winds,  nor  its  relation  to  the  Andes  mountains.  Hence  the 
child  acquired  no  causal  or  related  knowledge.  The  pupil  learned  that 
rice  is  a  product  of  Louisiana,  not  the  reason  that  the  state  is  adapted 
to  that  grain.  He  may  have  learned  that  Illinois  is  a  great  agricultural 
state,  but  he  gets  no  hint  of  the  relation  of  that  fact  to  the  geological 
structure,  or  the  climatic  condition  of  this  great  state.  It  may  be  the 
child  was  taught  to  recite  glibly  that  the  New  England  states  are  manu- 
facturing and  commercial  in  their  interests,  but  not  that  both  facts 
are  the  result  of  geological  formations. 

In  recent  years  we  have  been  trying  to  give  the  children  in  our 
schools  a  body  of  facts  that  have  causal  relationship.  In  this  way  we 
appeal  to  their  power  to  discriminate,  to  judge,  and  to  reason.  We 
thus  lead  the  child  to  the  acquisition  of  the  power  to  solve  many  prob- 
lems for  himself,  and  above  all  we  lay  the  foundation  for  a  form  of 


2  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

scientific  investigation  which  will  lead  the  child  in  after  years  into  a 
real  scientific  inquiry  relative  to  the  forces  which  from  all  directions  so 
greatly  modify  his  physical,  mental,  moral  and  spiritual  life. 

CIVILIZATION  BASED  ON  GEOLOGY 

"It  is  axiom  in  general  application  in  geological  science  that  there 
is  an  intimate  relation  existing  between  the  physical  geography  and  the 
geological  history  of  every  portion  of  the  earth's  surface;  and  in  all 
cases  the  topographical  features  of  a  country  are  moulded  by,  and  there- 
fore must  be,  to  some  extent  at  least,  a  reflection  of  its  geological  struc- 
ture. .  .  .  More  over,  all  the  varied  conditions  of  the  soil  and  its 
productive  capacities,  which  may  be  observed  in  different  portions  of  our 
state,  are  traceable  to  causes  existing  in  the  geological  history  of  that 
particular  region,  and  to  the  surface  agencies  which  have  served  to 
modify  the  whole,  and  prepare  the  earth  for  the  reception  and  suste- 
nance of  the  existing  races  of  beings.  Hence  we  see  the  geological  his- 
tory of  a  country  determines  its  agricultural  capacities,  and  also  the 
amount  of  population  which  it  may  sustain,  and  the  general  avocation  of 
its  inhabitants." 

The  people  of  Arabia  could  not  well  be  other  than  horsemen,  herds- 
men, and  dwellers  in  tents.  It  was  altogether  fitting  that  the  shepherds 
of  Judea  should  have  been  watching  their  flocks  by  night.  What  else 
could  the  early  people  of  New  England  do  so  well  as  to  fish  for  their 
living?  It  is  no  mystery  that  Southern  Illinois  should  count  among  her 
population  tens  of  thousands  of  native  and  foreign-born  miners.  How 
appropriate  that  central  Illinois  should  raise  corn,  and  hay  and  oats. 
It  is  as  easy  to  explain  why  the  people  of  western  Dakota,  Nebraska, 
Kansas,  Oklahoma,  and  Texas  should  lead  the  life  of  the  plainsman  as 
to  explain  why  the  Scotch  are  a  frugal,  healthful,  God-fearing  people. 

Reverting  once  more  to  the  principle  that  things  are  known  only 
in  their  relation,  we  may  readily  understand  that  the  life  of  any  people 
as  a  whole  may  be  interpreted  in  a  very  large  degree  in  terms  of  the 
geological  structure  of  the  region  where  that  people  lives.  It  is  true 
that  the  casual  observer  may  see  that  the  people  of  central  Illinois  are 
agriculturalists  because  the  lands  are  adapted  to  that  occupation.  Or 
that  the  people  of  the  Rocky  mountains  are  largely  miners  because 
there  are  many  precious  minerals  in  that  region.  But  this  understand- 
ing of  these  things  is  superficial  and  not  in  any  sense  scientific  and 
hence  not  satisfying.  He  fails  to  see  the  vital  relation  between  the 
particular  calling  a  people  may  have  and  the  peculiar  geological  for- 
mation of  the  region  which  lies  at  the  base  of  that  calling.  The  funda- 
mental, scientific  explanation  of  a  people's  occupation  is  wrapped  up 
in  the  geology  of  that  people's  land. 

Nor  does  the  geological  history  explain  only  the  kind  of  occupa- 
tion a  people  may  follow;  but  the  social,  intellectual,  and  spiritual 
life  derives  its  character  indirectly  from  the  rocks,  the  hills,  and  the 
streams,  or  perchance  from  the  presence  of  the  great  ocean.  It  is 
generally  agreed  that  the  explanation  of  the  wonderful  genius  of  the 
old  Greek  civilization  was  partly  accounted  for  by  the  great  number 
of  physical  units  in  mountains  and  valleys.  The  Greeks  never  attained 
to  a  great  national  life ;  the  geological  facts  were  against  such  attain- 
ment. But  what  the  Greeks  lost  in  government  and  national  political 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  3 

life,  they  were  more  than  compensated  for  in  their  enriched  intellect- 
ual and  spiritual  life.  Nowhere  has  beauty  had  such  exponents  as  in 
Greece.  Nowhere  has  the  spirit  of  moderation  been  so  wonderfully 
manifest.  The  wonderful  language  of  the  Greeks,  their  unparalleled 
sense  of  the  beautiful,  their  charming  spirit  of  moderation — may  they 
not  all  be  accounted  for  in  the  great  variety  of  landscape,  the  well 
proportioned  hills,  the  flowing  valleys,  the  alternation  of  land  and 
water?  Be  it  so. 

GEOLOGY  (GENERAL  SCIENTIFIC  PHASE) 

Geology  is  a  science  which  has  for  its  purpose  the  revelation  of 
the  processes  by  which  the  outer  portion,  or  crust  of  earth,  was 
brought  to  its  present  state  or  condition.  It  does  not  attempt  to  ac- 
count for  the  origin  of  matter,  but  assumes  that  the  earth  once 
"existed  in  a  state  of  fusion,"  or  in  other  words,  that  the  earth  was  a 
globe  of  liquid  fire.  The  radiation  of  heat  from  the  surface  resulted 
in  the  gradual  cooling  of  the  mass,  and  thus  the  first  rocks  were 
formed,  just  as  rocks  are  now  formed  from  molten  masses  that  are 
poured  forth  from  some  of  our  great  volcanoes. 

It  is  the  theory  then  that  the  outer  surface  of  the  earth  was  once 
a  great  mass  of  rock  formed  from  the  cooling  of  the  outer  portions 
of  the  liquid  sphere.  This  outer  crust  became  hard  while  the  inner 
part  of  the  earth  was  still  in  a  molten  condition.  This  hard  crust  of 
the  earth  formed  from  the  cooled  outer  portions  of  the  liquid  mass 
is  called  igneous  rock.  As  the  cooling  process  continued,  the  layer  of 
rock  became  thicker  by  the  additions  of  inner  portions,  and  the  liquid 
mass  has  constantly  decreased  in  size.  As  time  went  on  the  enclosing 
crust  "crumpled"  in  its  effort  to  conform  to  the  liquid  mass  beneath. 
In  the  course  of  time  water  gathered  in  the  depressions  and  the  pro- 
jecting portions  became  our  continents.  Eventually  the  elevated 
portions  began  to  disintegrate  under  the  influence  of  rain  and  other 
agencies,  and  the  detritus  was  transported  by  running  water  and  de- 
posited in  the  lower  levels.  In  the  course  of  great  stretches  of  time 
these  deposits,  which  necessarily  were  in  layer  form,  grew  in  num- 
bers until  they  now  aggregate  thousands  of  feet  in  thickness.  These 
layers  of  rock  formed  under  standing  water  are  known  as  sediment- 
ary, or  stratified  rocks.  We  thus  have  two  general  classes  of  rock, 
igneous  or  fire  rock,  and  sedimentary  or  layer  rock. 

Great  convulsions  of  the  earth  have  completely  changed  the  orig- 
inal relation  of  these  two  kinds  of  rock.  The  igneous  elevations  have 
been  worn  down  and  in  many  instances  have  sunken  under  the  sea, 
and  the  sedimentary  areas  have  been  upheaved  and  have  produced 
our  present  continental  forms.  In  such  cases  the  sedimentary  rocks 
are  no  longer  lying  horizontal  as  they  were  when  first  formed,  but 
are  found  in  all  kinds  of  positions.  In  some  instances  the  layers  may 
be  seen  standing  on  edge.  Again  the  upheaving  force  may  have  been 
less  violent,  and  the  layers  may  have  been  pushed  up  in  long  folds; 
a  cross  section  of  which  would  present  a  series  of  arches.  A  third  form 
of  upheaval  resulted  in  pushing  large  areas  straight  up,  the  elevated 
area  breaking  loose  from  the  surrounding  areas  thus  presenting  the 
fractured  edges  to  view  many  hundreds  of  feet  above  the  surrounding 
country. 


4  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

It  must  not  be  thought  that  there  was  much  regularity  in  the  orig- 
inal formation  of  the  sedimentary  layers.  For  these  layers  are  not 
uniform  in  thickness,  nor  in  extent.  Often  a  layer  will  appear  in  one 
place  while  in  large  areas  of  adjacent  territory  that  layer  will  not 
appear.  This  is  accounted  for  by  supposing  that  there  were  slight 
upheavals  which  pushed  the  given  territory  up  while  the  surrounding 
areas  were  receiving  other  layer  material.  If  a  certain  deposit  was 
begun  upon  a  foundation  which  was  slightly  inclined  and  the  deposit 
continued  for  long  periods,  that  layer  would  be  thick  on  one  side  of 
the  area  and  thin  upon  the  other,  even  thinning  to  an  edge. 

These  layers  have  all  been  studied  and  named,  their  life  history 
written,  and  their  relationships  established.  The  individual  layers 
have  been  brought  into  "groups"  and  named  from  the  condition  of 
life  represented  in  the  various  layers.  The  time  occupied  in  deposit- 
ing the  layers  in  any  named  group,  is  sometimes  spoken  of  as  an  era, 
while  the  sub-divisions  of  an  era  are  known  as  periods.  A  brief  de- 
scription of  the  eras  will  enable  the  reader  to  follow  the  descriptive 
matter  with  greater  ease. 

THE  GEOLOGICAL  ERAS 

A 

The  Archeozoic  Era  includes  the  oldest  stratified  rocks,  and  these 
under  ordinary  circumstances  would  be  found  just  above  the  oldest 
igneous  formation.  The  word  Archeozoic  means  beginning — that  is 
the  beginning  of  life.  However,  few  life  remains  have  been  found  in 
the  layers  of  this  era.  So  uncertain  are  the  geologists  about  the  iden- 
tity of  life  forms  in  this  era  that  the  word  Azoic,  which  means  with- 
out life,  has  been  applied.  The  rocks  of  the  Archeozoic  Era  are  so  in- 
terwoven with  the  igneous  rocks  that  there  is  great  confusion  in  the 
layers,  and  much  uncertainty  in  identification  obtains. 

The  Proterozoic  Era  rests  directly  on  top  of  the  archeozoic  layers. 
The  stratifications  are  much  more  easily  determined  in  this  era.  Little 
if  any  signs  of  animal  or  plant  life  are  to  be  found  in  these  rocks  and 
the  term  Azoic  is  also  applied  here. 

The  Paleozoic  Era  is  the  third  in  order,  and  lies  directly  above  the 
Proterozoic.  The  word  means  ancient  life — that  is  first  life.  The  old- 
est forms  of  life  appear  in  the  rocks  of  this  era.  Since  they  are  the 
oldest  forms  they  would  be  by  the  evolutionary  theory  the  lowest 
forms  when  structure  is  considered.  Something  like  five  hundred  spe- 
cies of  the  fauna  have  been  classified  belonging  mostly  to  the  inverte- 
brates. Some  plant  life  is  also  recognized. 

The  Mesozoic  Era  is  fourth  in  order  and  lies  just  above  the  Paleozoic 
Era.  The  rocks  of  this  group  are  so  named  because  of  the  advanced 
stage  of  life  represented,  the  word  Mesozoic  meaning  middle  life — that 
is  life  between  the  invertebrates  and  the  higher  forms  of  vertebrate  life. 
The  life  found  includes  reptiles,  amphibians,  and  mollusks,  as  well  as  the 
lowest  forms  of  mammals,  fishes,  and  birds. 

And  lastly  we  have  the  Cenozoic  Era.  The  word  means  modern  life 
or  new  life.  This  is  the  age  of  mammals.  There  now  appears  the  fullest 
development  of  animal  life  including  man.  The  poisonous  gases  have 
disappeared — largely  consumed  by  the  abundant  growth  of  vegetation. 
The  earth,  and  water,  and  air  have  become  the  fit  habitation  of  the 
highest  forms  of  fishes,  birds,  and  mammals.  This  is  the  age  in  which 
we  now  live. 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  5 

"We  thus  see  that  we  could  simplify  the  classification  by  applying 
the  four  terms — Azoic,  Paleozoic,  Mesozoic,  and  Cenozoic — No  life,  old 
life,  middle  life,  and  new  life.  Each  era  has  been  carefully  analyzed 
and  subdivided  into  what  are  called  periods. 

The  following  scheme  will  give  the  ideal  which  the  geologist  has  con- 
structed. 


TABLE  OF  GEOLOGIC  TIME  DIVISIONS 

Eras  Periods 

f  Present 
I  Pleistocene 

Cenozoic. .  J  Pliocene 

I  Miocene 
I  Oligocene 
(_  Eocene 

f  Upper  Cretaceous 

Mesozoic  J  Lower  Cretaceous 

1  Jurassic 
t  Triassic 

C  Permian 

Coal  Measures 
I  Sub-Carboniferous 
Paleozoic •{  Devonian 

Silurian 

Ordovician 
I  Cambrian 

f  Keweenawan 

Proterozoic j  Upper  Huronian 

(.  Middle  Huronian 

(  Laurentian 
Archeozoic j  Lower  Huronian 

GEOLOGY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

The  word  "Periods"  in  the  foregoing  scheme  is  used  to  denote  a 
certain  amount  of  time  consumed  in  the  deposit  of  the  various  layers 
grouped  under  the  several  "periods."  The  word  system  is  often  used 
to  name  the  group  of  rock  layers  formed  in  any  period.  The  several 
systems  are  often  sub-divided  into  an  upper,  middle,  and  lower,  or  into 
other  divisions. 

There  are  probably  no  rock  formations  in  Southern  Illinois  older  than 
those  found  in  the  Lower  Silurian  layers.  "Just  below  Thebes,  in 
Alexander  county  there  is  an  exposure  of  about  seventy  feet  of  the 
upper  part  of  this  group,  consisting  for  the  most  part  of  white  and  light 
bluish  gray  limestone,  in  layers  two  or  three  feet  in  thickness.  It  can 
be  cut  into  any  desired  form  and  is  susceptible  of  a  high  polish."  This 


6  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

same  stone  outcrops  in  Missouri  near  Cape  Girardeau  where  it  has  been 
long  extensively  used,  and  where  it  is  known  as  Cape  Girardeau  Marble. 
This  is  known  as  the  Trenton  limestone  and  is  the  lead-producing  rocks 
of  Galena.  A  representative  of  the  Cincinnati  group  of  the  lower  Silu- 
rian is  found  at  Thebes  in  Alexander  county — both  sandstone  and  lime- 
stone. The  former  has  been  extensively  used  in  foundation  work  in  the 
city  of  Cairo. 

The  Upper  Silurian  group  is  known  as  the  Niagara  limestone  and  is 
represented  in  Union  and  Alexander  counties.  It  is  a  cherty  material 
and  is  recommended  as  an  excellent  product  for  macadamizing  the  public 
roads. 

The  Devonian  system  of  rocks  is  represented  in  Southern  Illinois. 
There  is  what  is  called  the  Clear  Creek  limestone  found  in  Jackson,  Union, 
and  Alexander  counties.  It  is  a  chert  or  impure  flint,  rather  compact  in 
texture,  buff,  light  gray,  or  nearly  white  in  color.  The  decomposed  ma- 
terial forms  a  white  clay  resembling  chalk.  This  deposit  is  known  across 
in  Missouri  as  the  "Chalk  bank."  Some  of  this  Clear  Creek  limestone 
has  the  qualities  required  for  mill-stones  and  some  good  burr-stones  have 
been  made  from  this  limestone.  At  the  "Devil's  Back  Bone"  at  Grand 
Tower,  at  Bald  Rock  on  Big  Muddy  and  on  Huggins  creek  in  Union 
county,  the  stone  has  a  beautiful  grayish  white  color  and  takes  a  very 
high  polish.  This  limestone  is  identified  with  the  Oriskany  sandstone  of 
New  York  by  the  fossils  found  in  each.  The  Devonian  system  is  further 
represented  by  the  ' '  Calico  rock ' '  of  Union  county.  This  is  almost  iden- 
tical with  the  St.  Peter's  sandstone.  The  "Bake  Oven"  near  Grand 
Tower  represents  the  Onondaga  group  of  New  York.  Black  shale  also 
belongs  to  the  Devonian  system.  It  is  quarried  in  Union  county  under 
the  name  of  Black  slate. 

The  Lower  Carboniferous  system  is  also  known  as  the  Mississippian 
system.  During  this  period  of  time  the  Mississippi  basin  was  covered  by 
the  sea  and  certain  sedimentary  formations  were  in  progress.  The  Kin- 
derhook  group  consisting  of  shales  and  limestones  find  outcroppings  in 
Union,  Hardin  and  Monroe.  The  Keokuk  group  of  the  lower  carbonif- 
erous system  is  found  in  Monroe  county.  The  Chester  limestone  lies  like 
a  great  flat  wedge — to  the  southward  800  feet  in  thickness,  but  at  Alton 
only  20  feet  thick.  It  outcrops  in  Randolph  about  Chester  and 
in  Pope  county  on  the  Ohio  river. 

The  Upper  Carboniferous  system  (coal  measures)  lies  just  above  the 
lower  carboniferous  strata.  It  contains  the  great  coal  deposits  which  is  so 
marked  a  geological  formation  of  Southern  Illinois.  There  are  five  produc- 
tive coal  fields  within  the  limits  of  the  United  States.  The  Southern  Illi- 
nois field  of  some  37,000  square  miles  is  the  largest  field  found  in  any  one 
state.  Twenty  thousand  square  miles  of  coal  fields  in  Indiana  and  Ken- 
tucky, belong  to  the  Southern  Illinois  field. 

There  is  no  doubt  as  to  the  origin  of  coal — at  least  it  is  certain  it  is  of 
vegetable  origin.  Just  as  to  the  process  of  formation,  the  geologists  are 
not  agreed.  The  opinion  is  general  that  the  vegetable  matter  had  its 
origin  where  the  coal  layers  are  now  found.  At  the  time  when  the  coal 
measures  were  first  being  formed  the  entire  south  end  of  the  state  was 
submerged,  and  after  long  periods  there  was  a  gradual  emergence  and 
then  a  submergence.  During  this  period  the  coal  measures  were  de- 
posited. The  economic  phase  of  the  coal  measures  will  be  considered  in 
a  later  chapter. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  7 

The  Jurassic  system  is  slightly  represented  in  the  area  of  Southern 
Illinois.  Jurassic  rocks  have  been  found  in  the  bluffs  near  Thebes  in 
Alexander  county.  They  are  found  up  the  Mississippi  on  the  Illinois 
side  as  far  as  Grand  Tower.  These  rocks  are  well  represented  on  the 
Missouri  side  of  the  river.  The  older  geologists  thought  that  creta- 
ceous deposits  could  be  identified  along  the  Ohio,  but  later  investiga- 
tions seein  not  to  confirm  the  first  impressions. 

None  of  the  first  four  systems  of  the  Cenozoic  Era  is  represented 
in  Southern  Illinois  excepting  some  representative  rocks  of  the  Eocene 
group.  These  have  been  found  in  Pope,  Massac,  and  Pulaski.  Some 
clays  and  lignite  have  been  found  in  Alexander  county.  But  the  Ple- 
istocene and  recent  or  Post-Glacial  formations  are  found  in  great  abun- 
dance in  Southern  Illinois. 

The  Quarternary  Period  of  the  Cenozoic  Era,  as  indicated  above, 
' '  embraces  all  the  superficial  material,  including  sands,  clays,  gravel,  and 
soil  which  overspreads  the  old  formations  in  all  parts  of  the  state. 
This  last  formation  is  the  most  important  of  all  for  it  is  of  primary 
importance,  economically  considered,  because  it  gives  origin  to  the 
soil  from  which  all  our  important  agricultural  resources  are  derived. ' ' 
The  system  of  formations  which  are  known  to  the  geologists  as  Post- 
Tertiary  are  included  in  four  divisions :  Sands  and  clays ;  drift  clay 
and  gravel ;  loess ;  and  alluvium. 

The  sands  and  clays  are  the  oldest  layers  and  consist  of  beds  of 
stratified  yellow  sand  and  blue  clay  of  variable  thickness.  In  the 
region  of  Perry,  Washington,  and  adjacent  counties  there  is  what 
seems  to  be  a  blue  mud,  such  as  would  accumulate  in  the  bottom  of  a 
muddy  pond.  Beds  of  clay  and  sand  have  been  found  in  other  locali- 
ties in  the  sinking  of  shafts  and  in  the  digging  of  deep  wells.  It  is 
thought  that  these  formations  extend  quite  generally  over  the  state, 

Above  these  stratified  sands  and  clays  we  find  several  varieties  of 
drift  clays  with  coarse  gravel  and  boulders  of  varying  sizes  which 
have  been  transported  evidently  from  the  region  of  the  great  lakes. 
These  layers  vary  in  thickness  from  twenty  to  one  hundred  feet,  or 
more,  and  all  are  overlaid  with  beds  of  stratified  gravel.  The  true 
Drift,  which  term  is  applied  to  all  these  formations,  is  not  generally 
markedly  stratified  and  yet  the  deposits  or  formations  appear  in  beds 
of  various  thicknesses.  "At  Vandalia,  in  the  bluffs  of  the  Okaw,  there 
is  a  good  exposure  of  these  formations,  showing  both  the  stratified  and 
unstratified  deposits.  The  unstratified  drift-clays  constitute  the  lower 
portion  of  the  bluff,  extending  to  the  height  of  thirty-five  or  forty 
feet  above  the  bed  of  the  river  at  low  water,  and  resting  thereon  about 
the  same  thickness  of  sand  and  gravel  presenting  distinct  lines  of  strat- 
ification. 

The  third  kind  of  formation  resting  upon  the  Drift  is  the  Loess,  a 
fine  mechanical  sediment  that  seems  to  have  accumulated  in  a  quiet 
lake  or  other  body  of  fresh  water,  or  to  have  been  deposited  by  the 
action  of  winds  from  the  south  or  southwest. 

And  finally  we  have  the  Alluvium,  a  rich  deposit  forming  the  bot- 
tom lands  in  rivers  and  smaller  streams. 

THE  GLACIAL  PERIOD 

The  Cenozoic  Era  is  so  recent  and  its  history  is  so  vitally  related 
to  the  life  of  the  human  race  that  it  will  be  quite  proper  to  give  a 


8  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

more  extended  account  of  the  geological  story  of  this  period.  The 
formations  are  discussed  under  the  Tertiary  and  Quaternary  Periods. 
The  latter  period  is  popularly  divided  into  the  Glacial  and  the  Post- 
Glacial  formations.  These  glacial  formations  have  been  so  recent  and 
the  territory  covered  by  the  great  ice  sheets  so  extensive,  that  great 
interest  attaches  to  this  period. 

In  North  America  there  seems  to  have  been  three  great  centers  of 
glacial  movement — one  known  as  the  Labrador  ice  sheet;  a  second 
called  the  Kewatin  ice  sheet ;  and  the  third  the  Cordilleran  ice  sheet. 
The  first  sheet  had  its  center  of  movement  near  the  central  point  of  the 
peninsula  of  Labrador;  the  second  had  its  center  near  the  western 
shore  of  Hudson  Bay ;  and  the  third  moved  from  the  Canadian  Rockies. 
The  ice  sheet  whose  center  rested  on  the  Labrador  peninsula  is  the 
one  we  are  locally  interested  in.  The  movement  from  this  center  to 
the  south,  northeast  and  northwest  soon  reached  the  waters  of  the 
Atlantic  and  the  Hudson  Bay;  but  the  movement  to  the  southwest 
covered  nearly  the  entire  state  of  Illinois.  The  Labradorean  sheet 
reached  its  extreme  southern  limit  in  Southern  Illinois,  some  1,600 
miles  from  the  point  of  departure.  The  advancing  front  in  Illinois 
took  on  the  form  of  a  crescent  and  its  extreme  southern  reach  may 
be  traced  according  to  the  most  recent  geologic  surveys  from  Chester 
in  Randolph  county  southeast  through  the  southern  side  of  Jackson, 
eastward  through  southern  Williamson,  east  and  northeast  through 
southeastern  Saline,  northeastward  to  the  Wabash  through  the  north- 
west corner  of  Gallatin  and  southeastern  White.  This  line  marks  the 
southern  limit  also  of  the  prairie  areas  and  is  also  coincident  with  the 
northern  foot  hills  of  the  "Ozark  Mountains"  which  trend  east  and 
west  across  the  state  through  Union,  Johnson,  Pope,  and  Hardin. 

Illinois  was  subject  to  at  least  four  ice-sheet  invasions  according 
to  the  more  recent  investigations.  These  in  order  of  time  were :  First, 
the  Illinois  sheet,  which  seems  to  have  covered  nearly  the  entire  state. 
The  portions  not  covered  are  known  as  the  driftless  or  unglaciated 
areas.  There  are  three  of  these — First,  all  the  territory  south  of  the 
southern  end  of  the  drift  as  traced  above  from  Chester  to  the  Wabash. 
This  driftless  or  unglaciated  region  includes  in  part  the  counties  of 
Jackson,  Williamson,  Saline,  Gallatin,  and  White,  and  it  includes 
in  whole  the  counties  of  Union,  Johnson,  Pope,  Hardin,  Alexander, 
Pulaski  and  Massac.  There  is  a  second  driftless  area  of  a  few  coun- 
ties in  the  extreme  northwest  corner  of  the  state  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
old  lead  mines.  The  third  driftless  area  is  found  in  the  end  of  the 
peninsula  formed  by  the  Illinois  and  the  Mississippi  rivers  including 
the  counties  of  Pike  and  Calhoun. 

The  second  invasion  is  known  as  the  lowan  sheet.  It  seems  not 
definitely  settled  whether  this  sheet  had  its  origin  in  the  Labrador 
center  or  in  the  Hudson  Bay  vicinity.  It  seems  to  have  moved  south- 
eastward and  left  a  "profusion  of  large  granatoid  boulders  which  lie 
chiefly  on  the  surface  and  are  somewhat  aggregated  into  a  boulder 
belt  on  the  eastern  border  of  the  tract."  One  may  see  residences  and 
other  buildings,  yard  fences  and  ornamental  structures  constructed 
from  these  boulders  in  the  towns  near  the  boulder  field.  Such  houses 
may  be  seen  in  the  county  of  DeKalb  and  adjoining  counties.  The 
territory  covered  by  this  second  invasion  may  be  roughly  enclosed  by 
the  Rock  river  on  the  west,  Wisconsin  on  the  north,  Lake  Michigan 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  9 

on  the  east,  and  on  the  south  by  the  parallel  of  the  southerly  bend 
of  Lake  Michigan. 

The  Third  invasion  is  named  the  Earlier  Wisconsin  and  covers 
the  northeastern  fourth  of  the  state. 

The  Fourth  invasion  is  known  as  the  Later  Wisconsin  and  borders 
the  west  shore  of  Lake  Michigan,  reaching  out  some  fifty  or  sixty 
miles  from  that  body  of  water.  Here  in  Southern  Illinois  we  are  more 
interested  in  the  first  ice  sheet  since  it  is  the  only  one  that  directly 
affects  us. 

No  other  single  agent  has  been  so  potent  in  the  modification  of 
the  surface  of  the  earth  as  have  glaciers  and  ice  sheets.  When  we 
remember  that  these  ice-sheets  were  hundreds  and  possibly  thousands 
of  feet  thick,  and  were  hundreds  of  miles  in  width  and  length,  some 
adequate  notion  may  be  formed  of  their  power  to  plow  up  and  com- 
pletely change  the  surface  structure  of  the  earth. 

The  debris  which  they  brought  with  them  from  the  Laurentian 
mountains  of  Canada  was  distributed  over  Illinois  greatly  to  the  en- 
richment of  the  soils  of  our  entire  state.  This  material  which  eventu- 
ally became  our  soil  in  all  the  glaciated  areas,  was  transported  in  sev- 
eral ways.  Much  of  it  was  pushed  along  mechanically  in  front  of  the 
advancing  ice-sheet,  so  that  when  the  forward  movement  began  slow- 
ing up  this  material  was  left  scattered  along  in  lines  agreeing  in  gen- 
eral with  the  front  of  the  advancing  ice-sheet.  Much  material  was 
carried  along  under  the  ice-sheet  and  was  very  generally  ground  and 
distributed  over  the  glaciated  area.  Other  material  was  carried  on 
the  ice-sheet  and  often  deeply  imbedded  in  it.  When  the  movement 
was  checked  this  superimposed  material  becoming  heated  under  the 
warm  rays  of  the  sun  worked  its  way  through  the  ice  and  rested  on 
the  ground,  the  whole  body  of  ice  eventually  melting. 

Lastly.  Vast  quantities  of  material  were  carried  by  the  streams 
which  continually  flowed  from  the  melting  ice.  Much  of  this  detritus 
was  left  on  the  broad  flat  prairies,  but  much  was  carried  into  the 
streams  which  overflowing  their  banks  carried  this  material  to  right 
and  left  in  the  stream's  valley  where  it  was  deposited  as  alluvium, 
previously  mentioned. 

The  material  which  these  glaciers  brought  into  our  state  is  called 
Drift.  Its  composition  varies,  but  is  usually  clay,  sand,  and  boulders. 
This  drift  is  often  found  stratified,  but  more  generally  it  is  without 
definite  layer  formation.  Further  attention  will  be  given  to  this  mat- 
ter under  the  head  of  soils. 

We  come  now  to  the  last  phase  of  the  geology — the  Human  or 
Present  Period.  We  must  now  see  the  earth  as  the  home  of  man. 
Through  untold  ages  the  Creator  has  been  gradually  unfolding  his 
plan  to  us,  of  filling  the  earth  with  plants,  and  animals,  and  last  and 
most  important  of  all — man.  It  must  not  be  supposed  that  the  forces 
which  have  been  operating  through  all  the  geological  ages  have  all 
run  their  courses  and  are  no  longer  active  and  powerful.  Many  of 
these  forces  which  were  instrumental  in  producing  the  various  stages 
in  the  geological  history  are  still  at  work  and  will  continue  to  work 
for  untold  ages.  Among  these  we  may  mention  the  forces  affecting 
the  elevation  and  subsidence  of  the  continental  forms.  The  work  done 
by  running  water  has  not  ceased  as  we  can  easily  see  everywhere. 
The  disintegrating  power  of  alternations  in  heat  and  cold  especially 
when  accompanied  by  the  presence  of  moisture  is  always  going  on. 

We  will  now  turn  our  attention  to  the  resources  which  a  wise  Cre- 
ator has  placed  within  the  reach  of  the  human  race. 


CHAPTER  II 
RESOURCES  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

SOILS  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS — SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  TIMBER — OUR  COAL 
FIELDS — STONE,  OIL  AND  GAS — SALT,  LEAD  AND  CLAY — PRAIRIE  AND 
TIMBER  AREAS 

Southern  Illinois  has  three  general  kinds  of  soil,  or  rather  there  are 
three  recognized  sources  of  the  soils  of  Southern  Illinois.  First,  there  are 
the  various  kinds  of  soils  which  were  formed  out  of  the  stratified  rocks  by 
mechanical  and  chemical  processes.  Second,  soils  formed  by  the  drift 
which  overlies  all  the  areas  known  as  glacial  areas,  and  third,  the  soils 
formed  by  the  loess  which  was  widely  distributed  over  Illinois  following 
the  recession  of  the  ice  sheets. 

The  first  is  known  as  residual  soil,  because  it  is  what  is  left  after  the 
decomposition  of  the  sedimentary  rocks  in  the  unglaciated  regions.  The 
second  is  called  the  glacial  soil  because  it  is  formed  directly  from  the 
matter  furnished  by  the  glacial  sheets.  The  third  are  called  silt  soils 
because  the  loess  is  of  the  nature  of  silt  which  settles  from  water  or  which 
might  be  sifted  over  a  country  by  constant  winds  blowing  from  a  dry  and 
timberless  region. 

It  is  easy  to  understand  the  formation  of  the  residual  soils.  At  the 
end  of  the  Upper  Carboniferous  Period  the  whole  state  was  covered  with 
the  rocks  of  that  period.  If  now  we  think  of  these  rocks  as  being  exposed 
to  the  sun's  heat,  the  winter's  cold,  the  action  of  water,  freezing  and 
thawing,  and  the  chemical  changes,  we  can  understand  that  in  the  course 
of  time  a  coating  of  soil  would  be  formed.  If  the  running  water  did  not 
carry  this  new  formed  soil  away  it  would  lie  where  it  was  formed.  It 
will  also  be  easy  to  understand  that  as  the  coating  of  soil  grew  thicker  the 
process  of  decay  was  less  rapid,  since  the  soil  acts  as  a  sort  of  blanket  to 
prevent  the  agents  of  decomposition  from  reaching  the  undecayed 
rocks.  Now  this  is  exactly  the  soil  making  process  that  has  been  going 
on  for  hundreds  of  years  in  those  portions  of  the  state  not  covered  by 
the  ice  invasions. 

It  will  be  readily  seen  that  the  character  of  the  soil  formed  in  this 
way  will  be  determined  by  the  nature  of  the  rock  deposits  in  different 
localities.  In  the  three  previously  named  areas,  as  driftless  areas,  namely, 
the  extreme  south  end  of  the  state,  the  regions  about  Galena,  and  the 
peninsula  between  the  Illinois  river  and  the  Mississippi,  the  soil  will  be 
known  as  residual  soil,  except  as  it  has  been  modified  by  the  deposit  of 
loess  in  larger  or  smaller  quantities. 

In  these  driftless  areas  the  "soils  show  variations  which  correspond 
in  a  rough  way  with  variations  in  the  structure  of  the  rocks  from  which 

10 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  11 

they  are  derived.  In  regions  underlaid  by  shale  or  limestones  a  more  com- 
pact and  adhesive  soil  is  found  than  in  sandstone  regions,  while  each 
class  of  limestone  has  its  own  peculiar  soil.  With  proper  rotation  of 
crops  these  soils  constitute  a  fertile  portion  of  the  state,  otherwise  they 
become  exhausted  sooner  than  soils  formed  from  glacial  drift. ' ' 

.  The  character  of  the  soils  formed  by  the  glacial  drift  varies  also  ac- 
cording to  the  nature  of  the  transported  material.  Three  general  classes 
have  been  recognized.  First,  Stony  or  Glacial  Clay  soil.  This  soil  is  made 
from  the  weathered  surface  of  the  drift-sheet  unaffected  by  water  in  its 
formation  and  not  subsequently  covered  over  with  loess  or  silt.  This 
class  of  soil  is  found  in  the  ' '  corn  belt ' '  north  of  the  Shelbyville  moraine. 
Second,  we  have  the  gravelly  soils.  This  kind  is  found  near  streams, 
lakes,  and  in  regions  where  lakes  once  existed.  It  is  not  of  value  except 
as  a  subsoil  for  loamy  deposits.  Third,  sandy  soils  are  found  in  the  old 
beaches  and  along  certain  rivers.  Mason  county  presents  a  very  excellent 
illustration  of  this  class  of  drift  soils. 

The  loess  soils  are  very  widely  distributed  and  are  of  three  classes 
according  to  the  degree  of  their  perviousness  to  water.  They  are  those 
readily  pervious ;  slowly  pervious,  and  nearly  impervious.  The  first  is 
a  characteristic  soil  in  Southern  Illinois.  As  it  recedes  from  the  Missis- 
sippi, the  Ohio,  and  the  Wabash  it  becomes  of  the  nature  of  a  white  clay. 
Its  chief  ingredient  is  silica,  and  this  soil  is  adapted  to  the  raising  of 
grains  and  fruits.  This  white  soil  is  one  of  the  first  things  that  attracts 
people's  attention  who  have  been  accustomed  to  the  black  soil  of  Cham- 
paign, Dewitt,  and  other  corn  counties,  and  they  say,  ' '  Why  your  soil  is 
so  poor,  if  is  as  white  as  chalk. "  It  is  not  necessarily  the  poor  quality 
of  the  soil  but  the  peculiar  mechanical  structure  which  allows  the  water 
of  the  rainy  season  to  escape  together  with  an  extended  drouth  period 
from  June  to  September  that  prevents  Egypt  from  presenting  an  attrac- 
tive appearance  in  midsummer.  Good  illustrations  of  the  slowly  pervious 
silt  soils  are  found  in  the  regions  of  the  lower  Illinois  river.  The  third 
class,  almost  wholly  impervious  silts  are  found  in  the  uplands  of 
"Egypt."  This  is  the  soil  which  has  made  Egypt  famous  as  an  apple 
producing  region.  Clay,  and  Marion,  and  Wayne  and  other  nearby  coun- 
ties find  a  mine  of  wealth  in  their  orchards.  A  failure  in  the  apple  crop 
in  these  counties  is  not  to  be  attributed  to  the  soil  but  to  the  various 
forms  of  insect  life  which  is  baffling  the  orchardists  of  this  region. 

The  loess  soils  of  Southern  Illinois  are  among  our  richest  areas.  Not 
because  of  the  great  amount  of  loess  but  probably  because  of  the  mix- 
ture of  loess  with  either  the  residual  soils  or  with  the  silt  soils.  The  soil 
of  the  unglaciated  region  of  Union,  Johnson,  Pope,  Saline  and  Hardin 
is  of  a  remarkable  type.  Bald  Knob,  near  Alto  Pass,  a  young  mountain 
of  some  eight  hundred  or  a  thousand  acres  and  something  like  800  feet 
in  height  has  a  very  rich  soil.  Even  upon  the  very  top,  the  soil  is  deep 
and  of  a  rich  brown  color.  Apples,  peaches,  sweet  potatoes,  tomatoes, 
grains  and  small  fruits  abound.  This  young  mountain  is  a  part  of  the 
Ozark  range  and  was  never  glaciated.  Mr.  Rendleman  who  lives  on  the 
very  summit  of  the  Knob  says  the  winds  are  continually  bringing  a  rich 
silt  up  its  long  slopes  and  leaves  it  upon  the  top  of  the  hill.  And  there 
are  evidences  that  large  quantities  of  loess  have  been  deposited  there. 
Throughout  the  Ozarks,  especially  on  the  south  side  of  the  range,  the 
soil  is  very  productive  and  all  kinds  of  fruits  and  vegetables  are  pro- 
duced in  abundance. 


12  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

Alluvial  soils  abound  in  Southern  Illinois.  Alluvium,  as  we  know, 
has  been  deposited  by  water.  It  is  not  different  from  the  Residual,  Drift, 
and  Loess  soils  but  a  mixture  of  all.  As  the  soil  was  forming  the  run- 
ning water  was  gradually  transporting  it  to  lower  levels.  This  process 
the  average  school  boy  is  familiar  with.  This  alluvial  matter  has  been 
left  in  the  river  valleys,  in  inland  lakes  and  in  ponds  and  on  flat  and  un- 
drained  prairies.  The  Great  American  Bottom  which  reaches  from 
Alton  to  Chester,  a  distance  of  nearly  a  hundred  miles  by  the  windings 
of  the  river,  and  from  five  to  nine  miles  wide,  is  the  most  remarkable 
alluvial  deposit,  outside  of  delta  formations,  in  the  United  States. 
There  are  large  areas  of  alluvial  deposits  along  the  Ohio  river  in  the 
counties  of  Gallatin,  Massac,  Pulaski,  and  Alexander.  The  Wabash 
valley  on  the  Illinois  side  has  considerable  alluvial  areas.  The  small 
streams  all  have  alluvial  bottoms.  The  lands  between  the  Embarras  and 
the  Wabash  is  alluvial.  Such  streams  as  the  Little  Wabash,  the  Saline, 
the  Cache,  the  Big  Muddy,  the  Kaskaskia,  all  have  alluvial  bottoms. 
In  many  localities  this  alluvial  bottom  land  is  worthless  as  water  stands 
on  it  "the  year  round."  The  laws  of  Illinois  provide  for  the  organiza- 
tion of  drainage  districts  and  much  of  the  land  will  be  redeemed. 

The  soils  of  Southern  Illinois  have  never  been  scientifically  studied 
until  within  recent  years.  The  State  University  has  begun  a  regular  soil 
survey  and  when  this  is  complete  there  will  be  a  revolution  in  methods 
of  farming  in  "Egypt."  The  state  has  also  established  experimental 
farms  in  several  counties  of  Southern  Illinois  where  the  farmers  may 
see  just  how  the  soils  in  that  region  should  be  cultivated. 

SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  TIMBER 

Although  Illinois  is  called  the  Prairie  State,  in  its  early  history  at 
least  twenty-five  per  cent  of  its  area  was  covered  with  forests.  These 
forests  lay  mostly  in  Southern  Illinois.  "There  was  no  county  en- 
tirely without  timber,  but  the  real  forests  were  confined  to  the  south- 
ern portion  of  the  state.  Many  counties  throughout  this  section  pre- 
sented an  unbroken  forest,  chiefly  deciduous  trees,  rich  in  variety,  and 
of  a  quality  unsurpassed  on  this  continent.  The  growth  on  the  mar- 
gins of  the  smaller  streams,  areas  between  forks  of  creeks,  or  wher- 
ever protected  from  forest  fires,  including  the  "oak  openings" 
peculiar  to  the  broad  rolling  prairies,  consisted  largely  of  burr,  black 
and  red  oaks. 

The  origin  of  the  Prairies  is  accounted  for  on  the  theory  that  the 
forest  fires  kept  down  the  young  trees.  In  1880  when  a  careful  esti- 
mate was  made  of  the  timbered  areas  there  was  found  only  about  15 
per  cent  of  the  entire  area  covered  with  timber.  This  loss  is  almost 
entirely  due  to  marketing  the  merchantable  timber  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  state  where  the  production  of  lumber  and  cooperage  stock 
has  been  an  important  industry  for  many  years.  Owing  to  the  ex- 
haustion of  the  best  grades  of  mature  hard  woods,  the  business  has 
been  rapidly  diminishing,  and  as  the  present  supply  is  chiefly  on  lands 
not  available  for  cultivation,  the  remaining  area  is  not  liable  to  fur- 
ther encroachments. 

The  state  is  about  four  hundred  miles  from  north  to  south.  This 
corresponds  with  the  distance  from  Norfolk,  Va.,  to  Boston,  Mass. 
Within  this  distance  of  four  hundred  miles  there  grows  as  great  a 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


13 


variety  of  trees  as  is  found  in  twice  the  distance  from  north  to  south 
in  Europe. 

An  exhibit  of  the  forest  wealth  of  the  state  was  made  at  the  World's 
Columbian  Exposition  at  Chicago,  and  the  great  variety  of  native 
growths  was  a  wonder  to  our  own  citizens.  There  were  twenty-four 
genera  comprehending  seventy-five  species  of  indigenous  woods  rep- 
resented. Three  kinds  of  Gum,  fourteen  kinds  of  Oak,  four  kinds  of 
Hickory,  two  of  Locust,  four  of  Ash,  five  of  Maple,  and  four  of  Elm 
were  exhibited.  In  addition  to  these  native  woods  there  were  shown 
nineteen  genera  of  cultivated  timber,  including  seventy-two  species — 


A    SYCAMORE,   TWENTY-EIGHT   FEET   IN   CIRCUMFERENCE,    NEAR  MT. 
CARMEL,  W ABASH  COUNTY 

making  in  all  one  hundred  and  fifty  species  of  woods  in  the  state  at 
that  time.  A  farm  wagon  was  shown  made  of  twenty-five  different 
kinds  of  cultivated  woods  all  grown  on  one  farm  in  Lee  county.  It 
was  reported  that  more  cultivated  woods  were  growing  in  the  state 
than  were  exhibited.  It  is  further  stated  that  while  the  total  area 
of  timber  has  decreased  probably  the  leaf  surface  has  held  its  own 
and  the  beneficial  influence  of  vegetation  on  climate,  water  supply, 
etc.,  has  suffered  no  loss. 

The  oldest  citizens  tell  of  some  of  the  methods  of  waste  in  the  tim- 
ber supply.    Often  in  alluvial  bottoms  where  the  timber  had  reached 


14  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

considerable  size  it  was  customary  to  clear  up  the  underbrush  and 
then  with  axes  cut  deep  rings  around  the  trunks  of  the  large  trees 
left  standing.  Often  a  belt  of  bark  a  couple  of  feet  wide  would  be 
removed.  This  was  done  in  the  late  fall  or  at  latest  in  the  winter.  In 
the  spring  when  the  surrounding  forests  put  forth  a  wealth  of  verdure 
the  girdled  trees  stood  leafless.  This  allowed  the  sun  to  reach  the 
ground  and  thus  crops  of  corn  or  tobacco  were  raised.  In  the  fol- 
lowing winter  the  thrifty  farmer  cut  down  his  dead  trees,  cut  the 
trunks  into  saw  logs  and  had  them  sawn  into  material  for  a  barn  or 
a  house.  The  brush  and  rougher  trunks  were  burned  and  the  second 
year  he  had  only  the  stumps  to  contend  with. 

The  shiftless  farmer  allowed  his  trees  to  stand  for  several  years 
often  building  fires  about  the  bases  of  the  dead  trees  which  were 
eventually  consumed  entire.  Others  would  cut  the  trees  down  and 
cut  the  trunks  into  certain  lengths.  When  this  work  was  done  a 
"Log-rolling"  was  announced.  Scores  of  men  would  come  to  the  log- 
rolling. Often  the  women  would  also  come  and  assist  the  good  house- 
wife in  preparing  the  noon  meal  or  engage  in  quilting,  or  tacking 
carpet  rags.  The  men  divided  themselves  into  squads  of  ten  to  twelve. 
Each  squad  elected  a  captain  and  chose  up.  Hand  spikes  were  pro- 
vided and  when  all  was  ready  the  logs  were  lifted  and  carried  to  the 
pile.  These  piles  often  contained  eight  to  twelve  logs,  ten  to  sixteen 
feet  long.  They  were  set  on  fire  on  the  very  top  of  the  pile,  the  fire 
burning  downward.  In  this  way  the  farmer  got  rid  of  his  trees  but 
he  burned  up  hundreds  of  dollars  worth  of  good  lumber.  It  is  no 
uncommon  thing  in  this  day  to  see  in  Southern  Illinois  large  alluvial 
fields  in  which  the  trees  have  been  girdled,  the  trunks  still  standing, 
having  been  partially  consumed  by  fire. 

Saw  mills  were  plentiful  forty  and  fifty  years  ago,  but  now  they 
are  few.  The  best  timber  in  Southern  Illinois  was  used  up  to  supply 
the  first  railroads  with  bridge  and  framing  material.  Tens  of  thou- 
sands of  beautiful  young  trees  were  taken  for  piling.  In  recent  years 
the  walnut,  oak,  hard  maple,  and  a  few  other  growths  have  been  cut 
for  furniture.  Hard  wood  finish  in  residences  has  been  popular  and 
the  price  of  good  oak  flooring  for  such  use  is  now  from  five  to  eight 
dollars  per  hundred  feet. 

Nothing  so  well  represents  the  rapid  disappearance  of  our  best 
Southern  Illinois  timber  as  does  the  establishing  of  "tie  preserving 
plants"  in  several  of  our  cities.  Fifty  years  ago  when  railroads 
began  to  thread  our  state  the  builders  would  have  nothing  but  the 
best  white  oak  ties.  Now  there  is  no  longer  a  supply  of  timber  for 
this  grade  and  the  railroads  are  under  the  necessity  of  providing  sub- 
stitutes. This  is  done  by  introducing  a  scientific  process  by  which  ties 
of  the  common  woods  are  rendered  longlived. 

Arbor  Day,  which  the  law  recognizes,  has,  through  the  public 
schools,  done  much  and  will  do  more  toward  creating  public  sentiment 
favorable  to  the  conservation  of  our  forests.  And  it  is  building  up 
an  aesthetic  taste  in  the  planting  and  cultivating  of  flowers,  shrubs, 
and  cultivated  trees.  Since  the  advent  of  concrete  and  steel  in  con- 
struction there  is  no  longer  the  great  need  of  timber  that  there  was 
in  the  early  days. 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  15 

OUE  COAL  FIELDS 

Nothing  has  brought  Southern  Illinois  more  material  prosperity 
than  has  the  coal  deposits  within  her  limits.  Coal  was  known  to  exist 
about  Belleville,  and  on  the  Big  Muddy,  probably  as  early  as  1826,  or 
possibly  earlier.  Governor  John  Reynolds  built  a  railroad  from  the 
bluffs  near  Belleville  across  the  American  Bottom  to  the  Mississippi 
in  1837.  He  says:  "I  had  a  large  tract  of  land  located  on  the  Mis- 
sissippi Bluffs,  six  miles  from  St.  Louis,  which  contained  inexhaustible 
quantities  of  bituminous  coal.  This  coal  mine  was  the  nearest  to  St. 
Louis  of  any  on  this  side  of  the  river."  In  1835  the  legislature  of 
Illinois  granted  a  charter  to  the  "Mount  Carbon  Coal  Company." 
"Hall  Neilson  and  his  associates,  successors,  and  assigns"  constituted 
the  company.  In  1836  Mr.  Neilson,  who  lived  in  New  York  city,  adver- 
tised the  "Mount  Carbon"  property  for  sale.  The  property  was  fully 
described.  The  mines  were  located  near  Brownsville,  the  capital  of 
Jackson  county,  thirty  miles  from  the  Mississippi  river  in  a  bluff  adja- 
cent to  the  Big  Muddy  river.  The  seam  of  coal  is  described  as  six 
to  seven  feet  thick,  "mines  easily,  in  large  blocks,  and  does  not  crum- 
ble or  form  much  slack  or  dust."  Each  hand  could  mine  and  deliver 
on  the  wharf  one  hundred  bushels  a  day.  Wages  were  $10  to  $15  per 
month.  It  was  figured  that  the  coal  could  be  put  on  the  barge  at  two 
cents  per  bushel.  "For  several  years  past  coal  has  sold  in  New  Or- 
leans, during  the  winter  season,  at  37  y2  cents  to  62y2  cents  per  bushel. 
The  supply  at  New  Orleans  is  derived  from  Pittsburg  and  Wheeling. 
Mount  Carbon  is  only  half  as  far  away  and  the  quality  of  the  coal 
decidedly  better."  Mr.  A.  B.  Waller  of  Washington,  D.  C.,  visited 
this  mine  in  the  interests  of  a  prospective  purchaser  and  reported  that 
the  coal  had  been  mined  back  from  the  face  of  the  bluff  about  fifty 
feet  and  that  ' '  the  quality  of  the  coal  is  superior  to  any  bituminous 
coal  I  have  ever  seen,  except  perhaps  the  Cumberland." 

Although  the  presence  of  coal  in  Southern  Illinois  was  known  from 
the  early  '30s,  little  was  done  or  could  be  done  toward  developing 
this  resource  until  railroads  became  an  established  fact.  The  only 
way  of  transportation  prior  to  1854,  when  the  Illinois  Central  was 
completed,  was  by  river.  A  few  mines  were  opened  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  rivers,  but  the  only  use  for  coal  in  the  interior  was  for  black- 
smithing,  and  even  in  this  instance  charcoal  was  very  generally  used. 
The  first  engines  used  on  the  railroads  burned  wood.  The  railroads 
have  been  the  most  direct  factor  in  opening  up  the  coal  mining  busi- 
ness in  Southern  Illinois.  The  Illinois  Central  reaches  the  coal  fields 
in  Jackson,  Perry,  Washington,  and  Marion.  The  Mobile  and  Ohio 
reaches  the  mines  of  Jackson,  Randolph  and  St.  Clair.  The  Chicago 
and  Eastern  Illinois  serves  the  mines  in  Johnson,  Williamson,  Frank- 
lin, Jefferson,  and  Marion.  The  Big  Four  passes  through  the  counties 
of  Johnson,  Saline,  White,  and  Wabash.  The  Baltimore  and  Ohio 
Southwestern  reaches  the  mines  in  Gallatin,  White,  Marion,  Clinton, 
and  St.  Clair.  In  addition  to  these  five  more  extensive  railroad  sys- 
tems, there  are  several  short  independent  lines  which  act  as  feeders 
to  these  five  larger  roads. 

The  whole  state  is  divided  into  ten  mining  districts  of  which  four 
are  located  in  Southern  Illinois.  In  the  Seventh  District  are  the  coun- 
ties of  Bond,  Clinton,  Madison,  and  Marion.  The  Eighth  District 


16  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

contains  the  two  counties  of  Randolph  and  St.  Glair.  The  Ninth  Dis- 
trict includes  Franklin,  Gallatin,  Jefferson,  Perry,  Saline,  and  White. 
The  Tenth  District  comprises  the  counties  of  Jackson  and  Williamson. 
The  total  output  from  these  four  districts  in  1911  was  25,000,000  tons. 
The  supply  of  coal  is  of  course  not  inexhaustible  as  was  formerly 
thought.  The  area  of  the  coal  field  in  Southern  Illinois  is  in  round 
numbers  about  6,000  square  miles  or  3,800,000  acres.  It  is  estimated 
that  one  square  mile  will  produce  1,000,000  tons  of  coal  for  every  foot 
in  thickness  of  the  seam.  Dr.  David  Dale  Owen  estimated  the  entire 
thickness  of  the  twelve  coal  seams  of  Southern  Illinois  at  thirty-five 
feet.  Each  square  mile  then  would  produce  35,000,000  tons,  estimat- 
ing that  all  the  coal  could  be  mined.  But  it  is  liberal  to  say  we  mine 
only  about  eight  feet  of  this  thirty-five.  There  are  then  only  eight 
million  tons  available  per  square  mile.  Not  over  three-fourths  of  this 
estimate  is  removed,  making  only  about  six  million  tons  per  square 
mile.  Our  annual  production  runs  about  twenty-four  million  tons  for 
Southern  Illinois.  This  gives  the  result  of  an  annual  consumption  of 
four  square  miles,  and  our  coal  will  last  1,500  years. 

STONE,  OIL,  AND  GAS 

No  other  portion  of  the  state  is  so  rich  in  stone,  oil,  and  gas.  The 
geological  formation  has  already  been  given,  but  it  will  be  necessary  to 
repeat  some  facts  in  dealing  with  these  resources. 

The  two  general  classes  of  rock  which  are  economically  valuable 
are  the  sandstones  and  the  limestones.  The  chief  use  made  of  these 
stones  is  for  building  purposes.  Limestone  is  burned  into  lime  in  many 
localities  in  Southern  Illinois.  And  probably  in  some  a  fair  grade  of 
cement  is  manufactured,  but  there  are  no  noted  instances.  Crushed  lime- 
stone has  been  extensively  used  as  ballast  for  railroad  beds,  and  as  the 
foundation  for  the  macadamizing  of  the  public  highway.  In  many 
places  along  the  railroads,  stone  crushers  have  been  erected  and  quite 
an  industry  built  up.  In  the  larger  towns  and  cities  of  Southern  Illinois 
there  has  grown  up  the  spirit  of  permanent  improvement  and  many 
cities  are  paving  the  streets.  This  is  usually  done  by  establishing  a  grade 
setting  curbing  of  sandstone  or  of  concrete  and  then  placing  on  the 
grade  crushed  limestone  to  the  depth  of  four  or  five  inches  upon  which 
is  placed  a  coating  of  sand  and  paving  brick,  or  finer  crushed  stone  and 
some  "bonding"  material  of  a  bituminous  nature.  Another  economic 
use  made  of  the  limestone  is  that  of  constructing  building  blocks  of 
crushed  stone  and  cement.  This  same  material  is  used  as  above  indi- 
cated for  curbing.  Then  there  is  a  rather  recent  use  of  crushed  lime- 
stone in  the  construction  processes,  namely :  The  use  of  concrete  in 
railroad  culverts,  archways,  retaining  walls,  and  in  the  construction  of 
walls  of  great  buildings,  the  floors,  stairways,  and  foundations.  Fence 
posts,  gate  posts,  and  watering  troughs  are  some  recent  innovations  on 
the  farm,  of  the  concrete  material.  It  has  also  been  used  as  flooring 
in  dairy  barns,  livery  stables  and  for  the  bottom  and  sides  of  grain 
bins. 

But  perhaps  the  most  far  reaching  and  important  use  made  of  lime- 
stone is  the  use  the  farmers  are  making  of  it  as  a  fertilizer.  The  soils 
of  Southern  Illinois  are  what  the  agricultural  chemist  calls  sow.  That 
is,  there  is  a  large  quantity  of  humic  acid  in  the  soil  which  renders  the 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  17 

soil  unfit  for  the  production  of  most  agricultural  products.  This  humic 
acid  is  found  wherever  there  have  previously  been  large  accumulations 
of  vegetable  matter,  resulting  in  what  the  chemist  calls  humus  or  vege- 
table mold.  Under  the  leadership  of  the  College  of  Agriculture  of  the 
State  University,  the  farmers  are  now  applying  crushed  limestone  to 
their  soils  in  quantities  ranging  from  800  to  1,000  Ibs.  per  acre.  This 
crushed  limestone  is  attacked  by  the  humic  acid  in  the  soil  and  new 
chemical  combinations  formed  which  provide  the  needed  foods  for  the 
growing  crops.  One  may  see  carloads  of  crushed  limestone  upon  the 
siding  of  the  railroad  tracks  in  the  villages  and  towns  of  Southern 
Illinois.  If  one  will  watch  for  a  day  or  so  he  will  see  the  farmers  com- 
ing with  their  wagons  prepared  to  haul,  and  distribute  this  material 
over  their  farms. 

The  state  has  done  much  to  assist  in  the  investigation  of  the  value 
of  this  crushed  lime  when  applied  to  the  sour  farm  lands  of  this  end  of 
the  state.  An  experiment  station  has  been  established  at  the  Southern 
Illinois  State  Normal  University  and  experiment  farms  are  located  at 
several  points  within  our  territory.  To  lessen  the  cost  of  procuring 
this  crushed  limestone  the  state  furnishes  it  from  the  penitentiary  at 
Chester  almost  free  of  charge,  the  farmer  paying  the  freight. 

Lime  is  burned  in  many  portions  of  Southern  Illinois  where  lime- 
stone deposits  are  found.  Large  quantities  of  lime  have,  in  previous 
years,  been  made  in  the  vicinity  of  Alton.  In  fact,  from  Alton  to 
Cairo,  along  the  bluffs,  there  are  outcroppings  of  limestone  and  in  many 
localities  lime  has  been  burned.  It  is  said  the  best  quality  of  lime  is 
produced  near  Prairie  du  Rocher.  The  limerocks  about  Chester  and 
in  Union  county  are  used  for  the  manufacture  of  lime.  St.  Clair  county 
has  an  abundance  of  limestone  and  quantities  of  lime  are  burned  and 
some  cement  made.  Near  Falling  Spring,  in  the  southwest  part  of  St. 
Clair,  a  high  grade  white  lime  has  been  manufactured.  It  is  said  lime 
was  burned  near  Alton  as  early  as  1815,  by  collecting  large  logs  into  a 
heap,  piling  thereon  the  limerock.  When  the  logs  had  been  burned 
the  limestone  had  been  converted  into  lime.  Shipments  in  barrels  be- 
gan in  1847. 

Fine  qualities  of  limestone  for  building  purposes  and  for  lime  are 
found  in  Pope  and  Hardin.  In  Johnson  county  building  stone,  both 
limestone  and  sandstone  for  ordinary  building  purposes,  is  found  in 
abundance.  Sandstone  of  a  very  excellent  quality  is  found  in  Jackson 
county  on  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  four  miles  south  of  Carbon- 
dale,  at  a  small  place  known  as  Boskydell.  Here  quarries  were  opened 
as  early  as  1855.  In  the  construction  of  the  Southern  Illinois  Normal 
University,  large  quantities  of  this  brown  sandstone  were  used.  About 
the  same  time  or  perhaps  shortly  previous,  the  present  capitol  at  Spring- 
field was  in  process  of  building.  The  reputation  of  the  Boskydell  brown 
sandstone  had  become  so  general  that  the  building  commission  author- 
ized the  use  of  the  Boskydell  sandstone  in  the  great  columns  on  the 
north,  east,  and  south  of  the  great  capitol,  while  the  trimmings  on  the 
fronts  are  of  the  same  stone.  The  capitals  and  cornices  are  from  the 
white  sandstone  quarries  of  Grand  Tower  in  Jackson  county.  In  1883, 
a  Mr.  Rawles,  a  stone  merchant  in  Chicago,  purchased  these  Boskydell 
quarries  and  installed  about  forty  thousand  dollars  worth  of  modern 
machinery,  including  steam  drills,  saws,  hoisting  machines,  dressing 
machines,  a  gravity  railroad  from  the  quarries  to  the  Illinois  Central 

Vol.      I—t 


18  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

Railroad,  and  other  modern  machinery.  Cut  stone  was  sent  into  all 
the  great  cities  and  for  a  time  was  used  extensively,  but  the  presence 
of  numerous  deposits  of  iron  and  the  lack  of  uniformity  in  color,  worked 
against  the  general  use  of  this  stone  and  the  quarry  was  abandoned 
and  the  machinery  rotted  and  rusted  away. 

The  discovery  of  gas  in  Southern  Illinois  occurred  at  Sparta  in 
1888.  Some  progressive  citizens  organized  a  company  for  the  purpose 
of  prospecting  for  natural  gas.  The  first  well  put  down,  struck  gas  at 
a  depth  of  848  feet  in  a  bed  of  light  grey  porous  sand.  The  pressure 
was  strong  and  steady.  A  new  company  was  organized  and  began 
boring  in  earnest.  In  1894  there  were  twelve  wells  producing  gas  and 
supplying  four  hundred  domestic  fires  besides  a  number  of  manufac- 
turing establishments.  The  total  production  per  year  when  the  wells 
were  at  their  best  was  eight  million  cubic  feet.  It  is  estimated  that 
the  equivalent  of  the  fuel  capacity  of  one  ton  of  coal  is  twenty-three 
thousand  cubic  feet  of  gas.  This  would  give  a  saving  in  coal  per  year 
of  three  thousand  five  hundred  tons  in  the  Sparta  gas  field. 

In  addition  to  the  wells  sunk  by  the  company  mentioned  above, 
there  were  many  wells  sunk  by  private  parties.  The  gas  was  known 
as  the  "sweet"  or  "petroleum"  gas  which  to  many  was  a  sure  sign  of 
the  presence  of  oil  in  this  region.  Since  1894  the  wells  have  weakened 
and  in  many  there  is  little  or  no  pressure,  and  no  recent  borings  have 
been  made.  The  total  number  of  wells  bored  was  twenty-two.  The 
territory  covered  by  the  borings  was  less  than  two  square  miles. 

SALT,  LEAD,  CLAY,  ETC. 

The  earliest  travelers  and  explorers  discovered  traces  of  salt  in  va- 
rious places  in  Southern  Illinois.  There  can  be  little  doubt  that  the 
Indians  were  accustomed  to  either  evaporate  or  boil  the  salt  water 
which  was  found  in  the  form  of  springs.  The  most  noted  place  in 
Southern  Illinois  where  salt  was  manufactured  in  an  early  day  was 
on  the  Saline  river  in  Gallatin  county  near  the  present  town  of  Equal- 
ity. On  the  Big  Muddy  in  Jackson  county  near  the  old  forgotten  town 
and  county  seat  of  Brownsville.  In  several  places  in  Madison,  Monroe, 
and  probably  in  Bond  and  in  some  of  the  Wabash  river  counties  salt 
was  made,  not  on  any  great  scale  but  for  local  market.  The  making  of 
salt  at  Equality  was  such  an  extensive  industry  that  its  description  has 
been  given  in  a  separate  chapter. 

In  1856  a  town  was  laid  out  by  the  county  surveyor  a  mile  or  so 
north  of  the  present  city  of  DuQuoin.  It  has  never  grown  to  any  size. 
In  1857  an  iron  and  coal  mining  company  was  organized  and  engaged  in 
coal  mining  until  1867  when  W.  P.  Halliday  of  Cairo  purchased  the 
stock  of  the  company.  In  1870  in  boring  into  the  lower  strata  to  de- 
termine the  value  of  the  coal  layers  there,  at  the  depth  of  940  feet  salt 
water  was  discovered.  At  this  time  the  great  salt  works  at  Equality 
were  not  being  well  managed,  and  Mr.  Halliday  saw  his  opportunity. 
In  1873  he  put  in  a  complete  plant  costing  several  thousand  dollars  for 
the  manufacture  of  salt.  Additional  wells  were  sunk  and  the  work 
was  extensively  carried  on.  At  the  time  of  their  greatest  prosperity  the 
works  turned  out  150  barrels  per  day.  The  product  was  shipped  south 
mainly.  By  1890  the  production  had  begun  to  decline,  though  they 
continued  to  operate  for  ten  years,  but  for  the  past  few  years  the  works 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  19 

have  been  abandoned  and  ere  long  the  spot  that  knew  a  thriving  industry 
will  be  marked  by  old  foundations  and  rusting  machinery. 

Lead  is  found  in  such  apparently  inexhaustible  quantities  in  the 
territory  west  of  the  Mississippi  river,  that  the  few  traces  of  lead  found 
in  Southern  Illinois  seem  very  insignificant.  However,  we  ought  never 
despise  small  beginnings.  Lead  was  known  to  exist  in  the  northwest 
corner  of  the  state  in  a  very  early  day.  Mining  began  about  1827. 
These  mines  in  their  palmy  days  produced  about  one-fifth  to  one-fourth 
of  the  output  of  the  world.  In  1845  the  mines  were  at  their  best  and 
from  that  date  to  the  present  the  production  has  greatly  diminished. 

In  1839  lead  was  discovered  in  the  digging  of  a  well  on  the  farm  of 
Mr.  James  Anderson  one  mile  below  Rosiclare  on  the  Ohio  river  in 
Hardin  county.  In  1842  Mr.  William  Pell  discovered  spar  and  lead 
about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  back  of  the  river  at  Rosiclare.  Com- 
panies were  organized  and  a  number  of  "diggings"  opened.  As  many 
as  nine  shafts  were  opened  for  the  mining  of  lead.  In  going  down,  the 
shafts  pass  through  beds  of  fluor  spar  to  a  distance  of  ninety  feet. 
The  lead  mines  were  operated  with  small  or  no  profit,  and  in  1851  the 
"diggings"  were  abandoned.  In  several  other  places  in  Hardin  county 
lead  has  been  discovered,  but  not  in  quantities  which  would  justify  an 
attempt  to  produce  it  for  the  market.  Traces  of  lead  have  been  found 
in  other  counties,  but  no  diggings  have  been  opened. 

The  clays  of  Southern  Illinois  will  yet  prove  of  great  value,  but  up 
to  the  present  time  no  industries  on  a  large  scale  have  been  established 
to  develop  the  clay  resources,  except  for  the  manufacture  of  brick.  The 
various  uses  of  the  different  kinds  of  clays  found  in  Southern  Illinois 
are  the  manufacture  of  common  red  brick,  fire  clay  brick,  paving 
brick,  terra  cotta,  drain  tile,  sewer  pipe,  crocks,  jugs,  jars  and  finer 
queensware. 

Common  red  brick  are  manufactured  in  great  quantities  in  all  sec- 
tions of  the  state.  In  the  early  days  the  home-made  bricks  were  used 
for  outside  as  well  as  for  inside  work.  In  many  towns  in  this  territory 
the  older  brick  buildings  show  the  old  fashioned  hand  made  brick,  but 
in  the  better  class  of  business  houses  as  well  as  in  modern  Brick  resi- 
dences they  use  "pressed  brick."  These  have  been  manufactured  in 
large  quantities  in  the  penitentiary  at  Chester,  the  hand  made  products 
being  used  for  inside  walls  and  for  "filling." 

Fire  brick  clay  is  often  found  closely  associated  with  the  seams  of 
bituminous  coal  in  this  section.  Throughout  Randolph  county  there  are 
two  deposits  of  fire  clay,  one  at  a  depth  of  70  or  80  feet  and  another  at 
the  depth  of  120  feet.  The  same  layers  of  fire  clay  are  also  found  in  St. 
Clair  county.  In  four  oil  borings  in  the  Sparta  oil  field,  fire  clay  was 
found  at  a  depth  of  125  feet.  The  layer  was  found  to  be  from  two  to 
eight  feet  thick.  Some  fire  clays  are  found  in  Johnson,  Pulaski,  and 
Pope  counties. 

Paving  brick  are  manufactured  in  Murphysboro  and  in  Albion. 
The  demands  for  paving  brick  are  beyond  the  supply  furnished  by  these 
two  paving  brick  plants.  At  Albion  a  second  company  has  been  or- 
ganized, and  is  working  its  way  into  the  favor  of  municipalities  where 
paving  improvements  are  going  on. 

Drain  tile  clay  is  not  of  a  very  high  grade  in  Southern  Illinois  and 
no  large  factories  have  attempted  its  manufacture  into  drain  tile.  Local 
factories  have  sprung  up  here  and  there,  but  usually  of  short  life.  No 
sewer  pipe  is  manufactured  in  this  territory. 


20  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

Potter's  clay  has  been  found  and  small  factories  have  engaged  in  the 
making  of  jugs,  crocks,  and  jars  in  Anna  and  in  Metropolis,  and  in 
McLeansboro,  and  probably  in  other  localities.  But  all  these  industries 
are  gone  and  only  dilapidated  sheds  and  rusting  machinery  are  left. 

It  may  not  be  generally  known  that  Southern  Illinois  has  rich  beds 
sf  a  very  high  grade  of  clay  suitable  for  the  manufacture  of  porcelain 
wares.  These  fine  clays  are  found  in  the  region  of  the  Ozark  hills.  In 
the  World's  Fair  exhibit,  in  the  Illinois  building,  were  "some  very 
pretty  dishes  of  Vhite  and  decorated  faience,  made  of  clay  and  silica, 
from  Union  county — the  only  articles  of  white  table-ware  ever  made  out 
of  purely  Illinois  materials.  The  following  is  the  chemical  analysis 
furnished  by  the  Rostrand  Porcelain  Works  at  Stockholm,  Sweden. 
The  first  sample  was  taken  from  the  clay  pit,  Mountain  Glen,  Union 
county.  This  clay  is  called  Ball  Clay : 

Silicic   acid    57.71% 

Titanic   acid    trace 

Alumina    32.75 

Oxide  of  iron 1.93 

Lime    53 

Magnesia    19 

Potash   96 

Soda    24 

Water  and  organic  matter    11.69 


Total    100.00 

Another  analysis  made  by  Harold  Almstrom  of  earthly  silica  from 
the  mine  of  the  Chicago  Floated  Silica  Company  in  Union  county,  is  as 
follows : 

Silicic  acid   97.82% 

Alumina  and  oxide  of  iron   1.08 

Lime    50 

Water  and  organic  matter 42 

Alkalies  and  loss 18 


Total    •. 100.00 

Samples  of  clay  from  Pope  county  are  very  similar  to  the  two  above 
samples.  Some  very  fine  samples  of  queensware  have  been  made  from 
the  Pope  county  clays. 

It  has  been  stated  that  the  deposits  of  fluor  spar  found  in  Hardin 
and  Pope  counties  are  the  only  ones  found  in  the  United  States.  But 
there  are  said  to  be  traces  in  Kentucky.  At  Rosiclare,  a  little  village 
on  the  Ohio  river  in  Hardin  county,  just  where  this  county  joins  Pope, 
there  are  apparently  inexhaustible  quantities  of  this  mineral.  It  is 
found  in  connection  with  lead  ores  and  with  silver.  It  is  sometimes 
free  and  presents  the  most  beautiful  tints  of  blue,  yellow,  red,  and 
green.  Two  or  more  companies  are  now  operating  in  this  locality.  The 
spar  is  used  for  various  purposes,  but  chiefly  as  a  reducing  agent  or 
flux  in  the  reduction  of  ores.  It  is  shipped  from  the  mines  by  way  of 
the  Ohio  river. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  21 

PRAIRIE  AND  TIMBER  AREAS 

Nothing  in  the  New  World  was  more  interesting  to  the  Europeans 
than  the  broad  prairies.  In  1817  Governor  Edward  Coles,  then  a  young 
man,  when  returning  from  a  diplomatic  mission  to  Russia  stopped 
in  France  and  in  England.  He  was  a  Virginian  but  he  had  traveled 
through  the  west,  and  had  himself  been  greatly  charmed  by  the  broad, 
rich  prairies.  The  French  and  the  English  never  tired  of  his  beautiful 
descriptions  of  the  prairies.  Among  those  who  were  charmed  by  his 
story  of  the  western  prairies  was  Morris  Birkbeck  who  was  a  very 
prosperous  tenant  on  a  large  estate  in  England.  Mr.  Birkbeck  came 
to  America  and  settled  the  City  of  Albion  in  Edwards  county.  In  later 
years  when  England's  prince  of  letters,  Charles  Dickens  visited  Amer- 
ica he  was  anxious  to  see  a  prairie.  His  wish  was  gratified  as  the 
reader  will  understand  by  reference  to  his  Notes  on  America. 

The  French  who  of  course  were  the  first  Europeans  to  reach  the 
Mississippi  valley,  were  amazed  at  the  great  sweeps  of  timberless  areas 
and  they  immediately  applied  the  French  term  prairie,  without  change 
in  the  spelling,  to  designate  these  meadowlike  regions.  The  word  was 
first  applied  by  Hennepin  and  later  by  other  French  writers.  The 
term  was  first  used  to  describe  the  "bottoms"  or  valleys  adjacent  to 
the  rivers  and  bounded  on  opposite  sides  by  the  ' '  bluffs. "  As  a  proof 
of  this  we  need  only  to  study  the  early  French  names,  as :  Prairie  du 
Chein,  Prairie  la  Forche,  Prairie  la  Crosse,  Prairie  du  Pont,  and  Prairie 
du  Rocher.  Nor  is  this  application  of  the  term  scientifically  inap- 
propriate for  it  is  shown  by  Professor  Leo  Lesquereux  that  the  for- 
mation of  the  prairies  of  central  Illinois  was  identical  in  character 
with  the  formation  of  the  bottom  lands  along  the  Mississippi  and  other 
similar  streams.  It  is  said  the  English  had  no  name  for  that  peculiar 
formation  which  we  call  prairies,  because  they  had  no  such  formation. 

"These  are  the  gardens  of  the  Desert,  these 
The  unshorn  fields,  boundless  and  beautiful, 
For  which  the  speech  of  England  has  no  name." 

— Bryant. 

It  is  said  that  it  was  a  very  difficult  thing  to  convey  to  the  mind  of 
the  unimaginative  Englishman  any  adequate  conception  of  the  great 
prairies  of  America. 

When  our  forefathers  came  originally  to  the  Illinois  country,  they 
found  about  one-fourth  of  it  timbered  and  about  three-fourths  timber- 
less  or  prairies.  The  early  settlers  designated  the  largest  treeless  area 
the  "Grand  Prairie."  Its  location  corresponds  almost  exactly  with  a 
great  divide  or  watershed  which  separates  the  drainage  of  the  Missis- 
sippi from  the  drainage  into  the  Ohio.  It  reaches  from  the  north- 
western side  of  Jackson  county  through  Perry,  part  of  Williamson, 
Washington,  Jefferson,  Marion,  Fayette,  Effingham,  Coles,  Champaign, 
and  Iroquois,  crosses  the  Kankakee  river  and  extends  to  the  southern 
end  of  Lake  Michigan.  Another  extensive  prairie  region  extends  from 
Kankakee  county  west  and  northwest,  crosses  the  Illinois  river  and  oc- 
cupies a  very  large  part  of  the  territory  between  the  Illinois  and  the 
Mississippi  rivers. 

The  origin  of  the  prairies  has  been  a  debatable  question  for  many 


22  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

decades.  Three  general  theories  have  been  advanced  to  account  for 
their  existence  at  the  time  of  the  coming  of  the  earliest  settlers  into 
the  limits  of  this  state.  One  explanation,  and  that  one  is  not  an  at- 
tempt to  account  for  the  soil  formation,  but  merely  to  account  for  the 
absence  of  the  trees,  is  that  the  great  prairie  fires  Which  annually  swept 
over  the  "grand  prairie"  effectually  kept  the  trees  from  making 
enough  headway  to  withstand  the  destructive  flames.  And  there  can 
be  no  doubt  that  these  annual  fires  were  a  sufficient  explanation  of 
the  treeless  condition  of  the  prairies  to  the  unscientific  settlers.  But 
there  are  two  other  explanations  both  approaching  the  subject  from  a 
scientific  standpoint. 

Professor  Whitney  holds  to  the  theory  that  the  treeless  prairies 
have  had  their  origin  in  the  character  of  the  original  deposit  or  soil 
formation.  He  does  not  deny,  in  fact  admits,  the  submersion  of  all 
prairie  lands  formerly  as  lakes  and  swamps ;  but  he  holds  that  while 
the  lands  were  so  submerged  there  was  deposited  a  very  fine  soil  which 
he  attributes  in  part  to  the  underlying  rocks  and  in  part  to  the  accumu- 
lation in  the  bottom  of  immense  lakes,  of  a  sediment  of  almost  im- 
palpable fineness.  This  soil  in  its  physical  and  probably  in  its  chem- 
ical composition  prevents  the  trees  from  naturally  getting  a  foot-hold 
in  the  prairies. 

Professor  Lesquereux  holds  to  the  theory  simply  stated  that  all 
areas  properly  called  prairies  were  formed  by  the  redemption  of  what 
was  once  lake  regions  and  later  swamp  territory.  He  points  out  that 
trees  grow  abundantly  in  moving  water  but  that  when  water  is  dammed 
up  it  always  kills  trees.  The  theory  held  by  Professor  Lesquereux  is 
that  standing  water  kills  trees  by  preventing  the  oxygen  of  the  air 
from  reaching  the  roots  of  the  trees.  He  further  shows  that  the  nature 
of  the  soil,  in  redeemed  lake  regions,  is  such  that  without  the  help  of 
man  trees  will  not  grow  in  it.  But  he  further  shows  that  by  proper 
planting  the  entire  prairie  area  may  be  covered  with  forest  trees. 

As  rich  as  was  the  soil  of  our  prairies,  the  first  immigrants  seldom 
settled  far  out  on  these  treeless  tracts.  Most  of  the  early  comers  were 
from  the  timbered  regions  of  the  older  states  and  felt  they  could  not 
make  a  living  very  far  from  the  woods.  Coal  had  not  come  into  use 
and  wood  was  the  universal  fuel.  There  was  a  wealth  of  mast  in  the 
timber  upon  which  hogs  could  live  a  large  part  of  the  year.  Again  our 
forefathers  had  been  used  to  the  springs  of  the  hill  country  in  Ken- 
tucky, Tennessee,  and  Virginia,  and  they  did  not  think  they  could 
live  where  they  could  not  have  access  to  springs.  An  early  comer 
back  in  the  thirties  rode  over  the  prairies  of  central  Illinois  and  then 
entered  a  hundred  and  sixty  in  the  timber  and  here  he  cleared  the  land 
and  opened  his  farm. 


CHAPTER  III 
INDIANS  AND  PREHISTORIC  PEOPLES 

GREAT  INDIAN  FAMILIES — THE  ILLINOIS  INDIANS — GREAT  CHIEFS — EVI- 
DENCES OP  PREHISTORIC  PEOPLES — THE  CAHOKIA  MOUNDS — IMPLE- 
MENTS, POTTERY  AND  PICTOGRAPHS. 

There  were  several  tribes  of  Indians  occupying  the  Illinois  country 
when  the  French  first  came  into  the  territory.  It  is  stated  that  there 
were  few  Indians  west  of  the  Mississippi  river  when  the  continent  was 
discovered.  Of  course  such  statements  must  be  taken  with  limitations. 
The  Indians  of  Mexico  and  territory  to  the  north  numbered  many  thou- 
sands. Evidently  there  were  few  in  the  region  afterwards  made  into 
the  states  of  Kansas,  Missouri,  Iowa,  and  what  we  call  our  northwestern 
states.  The  Indians  whose  homes  were  east  of  the  Mississippi,  began  in 
a  very  early  day  to  move  into  the  west,  and  in  this  way  we  of  the  later 
years  are  accustomed  to  think  of  these  western  Indians  as  having  long 
occupied  the  land.  The  number  estimated  as  living  east  of  the  Missis- 
sippi at  the  coming  of  the  whites  is  stated  at  250,000 ;  and  they  were 
scattered  rather  uniformly  over  the  country  from  Canada  to  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico. 

They  maintained  the  tribal  form  of  government — that  is,  they  had 
a  chief,  and  prominent  warriors,  who,  upon  certain  occasions,  met  in 
council  and  decided  upon  war,  or  peace,  or  upon  other  general  questions. 
The  Indian  race  was  an  indolent,  thriftless  people.  They  had  an  in- 
definite notion  of  a  future  life.  In  their  natures  "they  were  ruthless 
and  revengeful,  narrow  minded  and  brutal,  dissolute,  selfish,  gluttonous, 
polygamous  and  lustful."  Surely  this  is  a  pretty  strong  indictment 
against  them.  They  lived  in  temporary  shelters  called  wigwams,  and 
provided  their  sustenance  by  hunting  and  fishing  chiefly.  Among  some 
tribes  there  was  carried  on  an  indifferent  cultivation  of  the  soil.  The 
work  in  tilling  the  soil  was  done  by  the  squaws  and  the  old  men,  the 
young  braves  considering  it  beneath  their  dignity  to  work. 

GREAT  INDIAN  FAMILIES 

Those  who  have  given  considerable  study  to  the  Indians  have 
grouped  them  first  into  great  ' '  families, ' '  the  grouping  being  based  upon 
their  language.  Then  these  families  are  subdivided  into  "confeder- 
acies" and  these  into  "tribes."  The  Algonquin  family  occupied  the 
territory  north  of  the  St.  Lawrence  river  and  the  lower  lakes,  around 
the  upper  lakes  and  along  the  Mississippi,  eastward  along  the  Ohio  river 
into  the  Chesapeake  bay.  The  Iroquois  family  occupied  what  is  now  the 
state  of  New  York  and  parts  of  adjacent  states.  They  were  completely 

23 


24  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

surrounded  by  the  Algonquins.  The  DaKota  (or  Sioux)  family,  was 
located  in  the  territory  north  of  the  Wisconsin  river  and  west  of  the 
Mississippi  river.  These  are  the  chief  families  with  which  Illinois  his- 
tory is  concerned. 

THE  ILLINOIS  INDIANS 

The  Indians  found  in  Illinois  by  Marquette  and  Joliet,  belonged  to 
the  Algonquin  family.  There  was  undying  hatred  between  the  Iroquois 
and  the  Algonquins.  The  Illinois  Indians  were  therefore  in  constant 
dread  of  the  attacks  of  the  Iroquois. 

The  Illinois  Indians  formed  a  sort  of  loose  confederacy  of  six  or 
more  tribes,  known  as  the  "Illinois"  confederacy.  The  following  tribes 
constituted  the  "Illinois"  confederacy:  The  Metchigamis;  the  Kaskas- 
kias ;  the  Peorias ;  the  Cahokias ;  the  Tammarois.  In  addition,  there 
were  the  Piankashaws,  the  Weas,  the  Kickapoos,  and  Shawnees  and 
probably  other  tribes  or  remnants,  who  sojourned  on  Illinois  soil  for 
longer  or  shorter  periods.  The  first  five  of  the  above  named  tribes  were 
probably  all  who  ought  to  be  counted  in  the  "Illinois  confederacy." 

The  Metchigamis  were  found  along  the  Mississippi  river,  having 
originally  come  from  west  of  the  Father  of  Waters.  They  sojourned  in 
the  vicinity  of  Fort  Chartres  and  were  the  objects  of  earnest  missionary 
effort  on  the  part  of  the  Jesuits.  They  also  lived  in  the  vicinity  of  Lake 
Michigan,  to  which  they  gave  their  name.  They  were  allies  of  Pontiac 
in  his  war  of  1764,  and  perished  with  other  members  of  the  Illinois 
confederacy,  on  Starved  Rock  in  1769. 

The  Kaskaskias  originally  were  found  along  the  upper  courses  of 
the  Illinois  river,  and  it  was  among  the  members  of  this  tribe  that  Mar- 
quette planted  the  first  mission  in  Illinois.  They  moved  from  the  upper 
Illinois  to  the  mouth  of  the  Kaskaskia  river  in  the  year  1700,  and 
founded  there  the  ancient  city  of  Kaskaskia,  which  eventually  became 
the  center  of  French  life  in  the  interior  of  the  continent.  From  the 
year  1700,  when  the  tribe  numbered  about  six  or  eight  thousand  souls, 
to  1800,  the  Kaskaskias  occupied  the  territory  around  the  village  of 
Kaskaskia.  It  is  said  the  Tamaroas  and  the  Kaskaskias  were  united  into 
one  tribe  in  the  first  part  of  the  nineteenth  century  under  Chief  John 
Baptiste  DuQuoin,  who  was  a  personal  friend  of  General  Washington. 
Their  numbers  were  greatly  reduced,  and  there  was  constant  friction 
between  these  two  remnant  tribes  and  a  branch  of  the  Shawnees  who 
lived  east  of  the  Big  Muddy  in  Saline  and  Gallatin  counties.  A  final 
bloody  battle  was  fought  by  a  pre-arrangement  on  the  land  now  owned 
by  L.  D.  Throop,  three  miles  southwest  of  Frankfort,  in  Franklin 
county,  in  1802.  The  battlefield  was  well  marked  for  many  years  and 
white  men  have  lived  continuously  in  the  immediate  vicinity  since  1802, 
and  the  account  of  the  battle  needed  only  to  pass  from  the  pioneers  of 
1800  to  the  present  living  generation.  The  Kaskaskias  were  forced  west- 
ward to  the  Big  Muddy  when  the  slaughter  continued  until  the  Kaskas- 
kias were  all  killed  or  captured.  This  is  sometimes  called  the  battle  of 
Battle  Creek.  The  spot  is  at  the  crossing  of  the  Big  Muddy  river  by 
the  road  from  the  town  of  Frankfort,  in  Franklin  county,  to  DuQuoin, 
in  Perry  county.  In  after  years  the  Kaskaskias  remained  on  a  reserva- 
tion on  the  lower  Big  Muddy,  whence  they  removed  to  the  Indian 
Territory. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  25 

The  Cahokia  and  the  Tamaroa  tribes  remained  in  the  region  of  what 
is  now  St.  Clair,  Clinton,  and  Payette  counties,  up  to  the  close  of  the 
eighteenth  century,  when  they  were  merged  with  the  Kaskaskias  under 
Chief  John  DuQuoin. 

The  Peorias  made  their  home  in  the  region  of  Lake  Peoria  and  were 
a  quiet  and  peaceable  people.  They  never  in  any  way  affected  the  life 
of  the  people  in  the  south  end  of  the  state. 

The  Piankeshaws  were  a  small  tribe  of  the  Miami  confederacy.  They 
first  resided  in  southeastern  Wisconsin.  When  La  Salle  and  Tonti 
founded  their  empire  at  Starved  Rock,  the  Piankeshaws  were  a  part  of 
the  Indian  population.  When  this  enterprise  failed  the  Piankeshaws 
moved  to  the  region  of  the  Wabash  river.  They  were  in  the  region  of 
Vincennes  when  Gen.  Clark  captured  that  post  from  the  British  in  1779. 
It  is  said  that  the  Piankeshaws  were  among  the  best  friends  the  early 
settlers  had  among  the  red  men.  They  were  eventually  moved  to  a 
Kansas  reservation  and  thence  to  the  Indian  Territory.  Mr.  Walter 
Colyer,  of  Albion,  has  gathered  up  a  large  amount  of  material  concern- 
ing this  tribe  which  sojourned  for  a  few  decades  in  Southern  Illinois. 

The  Kickapoos  came  into  Southern  Illinois  in  the  early  part  of  the 
nineteenth  century.  It  is  said  the  first  time  they  ever  acknowledged  the 
authority  of  the  United  States  was  in  a  treaty  made  at  Edwardsville, 
Illinois,  in  1819.  The  Kickapoos  seemed  to  scatter  in  their  settlements, 
some  residing  in  the  Sangamon  country,  some  on  the  Embarras,  and  some 
on  the  Kaskaskia.  They  eventually  moved  to  Kansas  and  from  there 
they  drifted  to  the  southwest. 

In  this  connection  it  is  proper  to  say  a  word  or  two  about  some  noted 
individual  Indians  who  had  to  do  with  the  early  history  of  Southern 
Illinois. 

GREAT  CHIEFS 

When  George  Rogers  Clark  came  to  Kaskaskia  in  1778,  the  Ottawa 
chief,  Saguinn,  or  Blackbird,  was  temporarily  sojourning  in  St.  Louis. 
Clark  desired  to  have  a  conference  with  him  since  Blackbird  had  a  wide 
reputation  throughout  the  west  as  one  of  the  most  powerful  and  saga- 
cious Indians  of  the  Mississippi  region.  Blackbird  was  not  at  St.  Louis 
at  the  time  Clark  sent  for  him,  but  had  returned  to  his  tribe  on  the 
upper  Illinois  river.  The  chief  hearing  of  Clark's  desire  to  confer  with 
him,  came  voluntarily  to  Kaskaskia,  where  he  held  a  long  conference 
with  General  Clark.  He  obtained  from  General  Clark  the  real  issues  in 
the  conflict,  and  when  ready  to  depart  told  General  Clark  that  he  sym- 
pathized with  the  Americans  and  would  so  tell  his  people.  It  is  said  of 
him  that  he  remained  a  faithful  friend  of  the  Americans. 

Tecumseh,  a  chief  of  the  Shawnees,  was  the  most  noted  Indian  in  all 
the  west,  unless  it  may  be  that  Pontiac  was  more  widely  known.  Tecum- 
seh had  in  mind  the  forming  of  a  confederacy  of  all  the  Indians  in  the 
west  for  the  purpose  of  resisting  the  encroachment  of  the  whites.  He 
had  a  twin  brother  called  the  Prophet,  whose  home  in  1811  was  at  a 
village  on  the  Tippecanoe  creek,  where  it  empties  into  the  Wabash.  In 
the  summer  of  1811,  Tecumseh  left  the  cares  of  state  in  the  hands  of  his 
brother,  the  Prophet,  and  journeyed  into  the  south  for  the  purpose  of 
securing  the  support  of  the  Indians  in  that  section.  On  this  journey 
Tecumseh  came  from  the  Prophet's  town  diagonally  across  Southern 


26 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


Illinois  to  the  Mississippi  at  Fort  Massac  or  Cairo.  In  passing  through 
Williamson  county  he  was  seen  by  settlers  among  whom  was  John 
Phelps.  The  chief  had  with  him  twelve  warriors,  and  passed  along  the 
Shawneetown-Kaskaskia  trail  to  a  point  about  where  the  city  of  Marion 
now  is,  and  then  he  turned  south  along  the  trail  which  passed  over  the 
Ozarks  through  Buffalo  Gap  and  thence  south  to  Fort  Massac  or  Cairo. 
Mr.  Phelps  talked  with  Tecumseh  and  while  he  was  badly  scared,  he 
reported  the  great  Indian  as  a  very  approachable  and  well  disposed 
person. 

A  third  Indian  of  prominence  was  the  Tamaroa  chief,  Jean  Baptiste 
DuCoign,  formerly  alluded  to.  He  was  a  very  old  and  respected  Indian 
at  the  time  of  the  bloody  engagement  of  his  tribes  with  the  Shawnees  in 
1802.  He  had  during  the  lifetime  of  Washington,  visited  the  president, 


By  courtesy  of  Hon.  Theodore  Rlaley. 

PREHISTORIC  RELICS  FROM  WABASH  COUNTY 

who  had  presented  him  with  a  medal  for  some  service  the  chief  had  ren- 
dered, and  this  the  chief  wore  with  great  pride.  He  was  a  halfbreed 
and  Reynolds  says  had  two  sons,  Louis  and  Jefferson,  both  of  whom 
were  drunken,  worthless  fellows.  Chief  DuCuoin  had  been  converted  to 
the  Catholic  faith  and  at  his  death  was  buried  at  Kaskaskia  by  the  church 
at  that  place. 

Probably  the  most  noted  Indian  who  ever  came  into  the  territory  of 
Southern  Illinois  was  Pontiac,  the  famous  chief  of  the  Ottawas,  and  the 
moving  spirit  in  the  great  "Confederacy  of  Pontiac."  After  many 
months  of  fruitless  effort  in  trying  to  prevent  the  British  from  taking 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


27 


possession  of  the  territory  ceded  by  the  French  to  the  English  at  the 
close  of  the  French  and  Indian  war,  a  final  treaty  was  agreed  to  at 
Oswego,  New  York,  and  Pontiac,  broken  in  spirit  and  fortune,  repaired 
to  St.  Louis,  where  he  may  have  thought  he  could  head  another  rebellion 
against  British  occupation  of  the  territory  west  of  the  Alleghanies.  In 
this  conspiracy  he  hoped  to  have  the  support  of  St.  Ange  de  Belle  Rive, 
late  commander  of  the  French  post  at  Kaskaskia.  After  lingering  sev- 
eral days  in  St.  Louis  he  crossed  over  the  river,  against  the  advice  of 
friends  to  the  old  French  village  of  Cahokia.  Here  a  drunken  revel  was 
in  progress  and  here  the  noted  chief  was  murdered.  Reynolds  says  he 
was  stabbed  to  death  by  a  Peoria  Indian  in  the  pay  of  the  British.  Moses 


By  courtesy  of  Hon.  Theodore  Risley. 

PREHISTORIC  RELICS  FROM  WABASH  COUNTY 

says  he  was  tomahawked  by  a  Kaskaskia  Indian  hired  by  one  William- 
son, an  English  trader.  His  body  lay  in  the  streets  of  Cahokia  until  the 
arrival  of  St.  Ange  de  Belle  Rive,  who  took  the  body  to  St.  Louis,  where 
it  was  given  decent  interment. 

EVIDENCES  OF  PREHISTORIC  PEOPLES 

There  are  so  many  evidences  of  a  prehistoric  life  in  the  Mississippi 
region  that  it  is  now  agreed  by  all  archeologists  that  there  was  a  life 
of  considerable  advancement  in  civilization  in  the  Mississippi  valley, 
and  adjacent  territory,  long  before  the  coming  of  the  Indians,  who 
were  here  at  the  coming  of  the  Europeans.  It  is  the  purpose  here  to 
call  attention  briefly  to  some  of  the  existing  evidences  of  that  prehis- 


28 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


toric  life,  and  thus  awaken  if  possible  an  interest  in  this  most  charming 
subject.  Southern  Illinois  is  rich  in  prehistoric  materials.  Many  of 
these  materials  have  been  collected  and  are  in  the  keeping  of  individ- 
uals or  of  institutions,  or  perchance  of  the  state  or  national  govern- 
ment. 

One  of  the  most  obvious  of  the  evidences  of  an  early  people  is  the 
great  mounds,  usually  called  "Indian  mounds"  by  the  general  public. 
They  are  found  in  nearly  all,  if  not  all,  of  the  counties  of  Illinois  bor- 
dering the  Mississippi,  the  Wabash,  and  the  Ohio.  The  most  noted 
perhaps  of  all  these  mounds  are  the  Cahokia  mounds  situated  some 
five  miles  northeast  of  the  city  of  East  St.  Louis.  One  of  these,  the 
largest,  is  known  as  Monk's  Mound,  and  in  the  vicinity  are  scores  of 
others  of  lesser  size,  but  thought  to  have  belonged  to  a  great  system 
of  such  structures  in  the  ages  past 

THE  CAHOKIA  MOUNDS 

The  great  mound  referred  to  above,  is  called  Monk's  Mound  from 
the  fact  that  in  an  early  day  in  the  nineteenth  century,  a  colony  of 


MONK'S  MOUND,  A  NOTED  MOUND  OF  THE  STRUCTURE  OP  THE  MOUND 
BUILDERS'  TYPE  NEAR  EAST  ST.  Louis 

Trappist  monks  founded  a  settlement  on  this  mound  which  flourished 
for  some  time  but  later  went  to  decay  and  the  project  was  abandoned. 
This  mound  covers  some  sixteen  acres  of  ground  and  is  situated  in  Sec. 
34,  T.  3,  N.  R,  9,  west  of  the  3d  P.  M.  It  is  102  feet  high  and  is  some- 
what triangular  in  general  form.  It  has  at  intervals  been  visited  by 
scientific  men  since  the  year  1800.  No  very  thorough  examination 
has  really  ever  been  made  of  this  mound.  Some  years  ago  the  owner 
of  the  land  tunneled  in  some  fifty  feet  but  found  nothing  but  some  bits 
of  lead.  But  in  digging  a  well  on  one  edge  of  the  mound  many  bones 
and  other  evidences  of  a  departed  people  were  found.  The  mound  is 
now  owned  by  a  Mrs.  Ramey,  who  places  a  very  high  estimate  upon 
the  ground  occupied  by  this  mound.  A  Mr.  D.  I.  Bushnell  of  St.  Louis 
is  said  to  have  offered  $10.000  for  eighteen  acres  including  the  mound, 
but  Mrs.  Ramey 's  estimate  of  its  worth  was  $100,000 — quite  a  valuable 
piece  of  ground. 

In  1907  Mr.  Clark  Me  Adams,  son  of  the  Hon.  William  Me  Adams, 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


29 


archeologist  of  Alton,  Illinois,  read  a  paper  before  the  State  Historical 
Society  in  which  he  gave  an  extract  from  a  letter  from  the  Rev.  Fr. 
Obrecht,  abbot  of  the  Trappist  Monastery  at  Gethsemane,  Kentucky, 
which  throws  much  light  upon  the  story  of  the  Trappist  monks  who 
occupied  the  Monk's  Mound  in  the  early  years  of  the  past  century. 
The  story  as  given  by  Rev.  Obrecht,  briefly  told,  is  as  follows :  Two 
Trappist  Fathers,  Urbain  and  Joseph  seeking  a  favorable  place  for  a 
settlement  were  offered  400  acres  of  ground  by  M.  Jarrott  on  the  Ca- 
hokia  river.  At  first  the  offer  was  rejected,  but  after  a  time  the  offer 
was  renewed  and  accepted.  There  were  about  thirty-five  people  in  the 
colony.  They  built  twenty  or  more  small  buildings  on  one  of  the 


By  courtesy  of  Hon.  Theodore  Risley 

PREHISTORIC  RELICS  FROM  W ABASH  COUNTY 


smaller  mounds.  One  of  these  buildings  was  the  church,  the  whole  hav- 
ing an  attractive  appearance  from  a  distance.  Father  Urbain  doubted 
the  title  to  the  400  acres  of  land  given  them  by  M.  Jarrott,  so  he  went 
to  Washington  and  secured  from  Congress  a  confirmation  of  the  grant. 
In  digging  for  the  foundations  to  their  buildings,  they  found  many 
evidences  of  a  former  people.  It  does  not  appear  that  any  buildings 
of  importance  were  erected  on  the  largest  mound,  but  evidently  some 
structures  were  erected  there  and  its  sides  and  top  were  cultivated.  In 
1811  to  1813  a  pernicious  fever  lingered  in  the  colony,  carrying  off 
more  than  half  of  the  Trappist  colony  as  well  as  many  members  of  the 
settlements  in  the  upper  end  of  the  "American  Bottom."  In  the  early 
spring  of  1813  the  colony  fled  from  the  plagued  spot. 


30  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

A  traveler  who  visited  the  Monk's  Mound  colonists  in  1811  or  12 
says  the  bluffs  to  the  east  of  the  mounds  appear  to  be  one  vast  cem- 
etery. Professor  William  McAdams  in  1882  made  an  excavation  at  the 
foot  of  Monk's  Mound  at  the  northeast  corner  and  unearthed  a  hun- 
dred pieces  of  pottery.  A  student  of  archeology  has  estimated  that  the 
community  that  built  these  mounds  was  not  less  than  150,000  or 
200,000  strong. 

Other  mounds  are  found  in  the  vicinity  of  Monk's  Mound.  A  very 
beautiful  mound  called  Emerald  mound  is  found  two  and  a  half  miles 
northeast  of  Lebanon  in  Madison  county.  It  covers  about  two  acres 
of  ground  and  is  some  forty  or  fifty  feet  high.  Mounds  are  found  in 
Alexander  county  along  the  Ohio  river.  A  few  are  to  be  seen  in  the 
eastern  part  of  the  state  along  the  Wabash. 

IMPLEMENTS,  POTTERY  AND  PICTOGRAPHS 

A  second  evidence  of  a  prehistoric  race  is  to  be  found  in  a  large 
class  of  stone  tools  or  implements.  These  are  in  the  forms  of  axes, 
hammers,  and  edged  tools.  Then  there  are  those  implements  that  were 
evidently  for  warfare.  This  class  of  articles  are  made  from  the  flints 
and  the  hardest  stones.  Ceremonial  stones  of  various  forms  have  been 
found  plentifully  in  Southern  Illinois.  Mortars  and  pestles  are  numer- 
ous. Pipes  of  all  designs  exhibiting  great  ingenuity  in  construction 
have  been  dug  from  mounds  and  burial  places. 

A  third  evidence  of  a  prehistoric  people  is  to  be  found  in  quite  a 
variety  of  copper  objects  found  in  mounds,  and  buried  here  and  there 
where  excavations  have  been  made.  The  objects  have  been  found  in 
the  form  of  axes,  knives,  spears,  arrow  points,  and  objects  used  for 
personal  adornment — beads,  earrings,  and  bracelets.  Copper  kettles, 
needles  and  trays  have  been  found. 

The  fourth  argument  in  favor  of  the  idea  that  there  was  a  race  here 
prior  to  the  coming  of  the  Indians  may  be  stated,  based  upon  the  amount 
and  character  of  the  objects  wrought  in  clay.  It  is  known  that  potter's 
clay  of  a  very  high  grade  is  found  in  many  localities  in  Southern  Illi- 
nois. It  is  a  theory  that  the  region  known  as  the  American  Bottoms  was 
the  center  of  all  this  prehistoric  life,  and  that"  people  from  the  copper 
region  around  Lake  Superior,  and  those  from  the  localities  on  the  Dela- 
ware, where  great  clay  deposits  are  found,  and  those  from  the  barren, 
rocky  region  of  Labrador  and  from  the  home  of  the  cliff  dwellers  in  the 
southwest  all  congregated,  as  some  think,  about  the  erreat  Monk's  Mound 
for  a  sort  of  national  feast  or  other  form  of  gathering,  political,  social, 
commercial  or  religious.  In  this  way  the  various  articles  which  are  found 
about  these  great  mounds  may  have  been  brought  into  this  territory.  In 
England  and  in  parts  of  Germany  and  Denmark,  there  are  known  to  exist 
the  original  sites  upon  which  were  held  trading  fairs  to  which  people  from 
all  over  the  civilized  world  came  with  their  wares  and  their  coins. 

Nothing  reveals  the  fact  that  these  prehistoric  peoples  had  attained 
a  high  stage  of  civilized  life  more  certainly  than  does  the  character  of  the 
pottery  which  has  been  found  in  many  localities.  Near  the  old  salines  in 
Gallatin  county  there  can  yet  be  picked  up  broken  pieces  of  pottery  which 
are  fragments  of  very  large  clay  vessels.  These  large  clay  vessels  were 
evidently  used  in  the  manufacture  of  salt — the  theory  being  that  these 
large  clay  vessels  were  filled  with  the  briny  water  which,  under  the  in- 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


31 


fluence  of  the  sun  and  the  wind,  evaporated  leaving  the  incrustations  of 
salt  behind.  These  fragments  are  from  vessels  which  were  from  two  and 
a  half  to  three  feet  in  diameter.  This  would  give  us  vessels  that  would 
hold  from  twenty  to  forty  gallons. 

These  specimens  of  pottery  all  show  peculiar  systems  of  marking  on 
the  exravex  side  while  the  inner  surface  is  always  smooth.    The  simplest 


PlCTOGRAPH  FOUND  ON  THE  BLUFFS  OF  THE  ILLINOIS  RlVER  IN  PlKE 

COUNTY 

form  of  marking  is  the  simple  checks  making  meshes  from  half  inch  to 
one  inch  square.  These  peculiar  markings  are  accounted  for  by  the  the- 
ory that  the  vessel  was  made  inside  of  a  wicker  frame  work  and  when 
the  vessel  was  burned  the  markings  of  the  wicker  work  were  left.  Gallatin 


INDIAN  BUFFALO  PAINTED  ON  A  BLUFF  IN  JOHNSON  COUNTY 

county  seems  to  be  rich  in  this  class  of  prehistoric  material.  A.  M.  Rich- 
ardson of  Shawneetown  has  a  very  fine  collection  of  pottery,  most  of 
which  is  in  a  good  state  of  preservation.  Mr.  McAdams  speaks  of  seeing 
two  whole  pans  of  pottery  used  in  salt  making  in  the  salines  near  St.  Gene- 
vive,  Missouri,  that  were  serving  the  purpose,  when  dug  up,  of  a  coffin 
for  a  child.  These  pans  were  of  the  form  of  an  ordinary  bread  pan, 


32  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

some  three  feet  across  and  six  or  eight  inches  deep.  The  dead  child  had 
been  placed  in  one  pan  and  the  other  pan  inverted  above  it  and  the  two 
thus  arranged,  buried. 

A  fifth  evidence  of  a  prehistoric  race  is  found  in  what  archeologists 
call  pictographs.  These  were  found  in  various  places  in  this  state.  The 
buffalo  shown  in  the  accompanying  cut,  the  writer  had  the  pleasure  of 
examining  on  a  bluff  in  the  Ozarks  at?  the  crossing  of  the  Paducah  branch 
of  the  Illinois  Central  railroad.  The  Piasa  bird  from  its  perch  upon 
the  rocks  near  Piasa  creek  looked  out  upon  the  Father  of  Waters  for 
ages  unnumbered  before  the  first  white  man  made  its  discovery.  The 
tradition  of  the  painting  has  faded  from  the  memory  of  the  oldest  in- 
habitant. Other  carvings  upon  rocks  in  various  sections  of  the  state 
can  be  accounted  for  only  by  the  supposition  that  an  older  race  than  the 
Indian  once  occupied  this  territory. 


CHAPTER  IV 
DISCOVERIES  AND  EXPLORATIONS 

CLAIMANTS  TO  AMERICA — MARQUETTE  AND  JOLIET — THE  TRIUMPHS  AND 
DEATH  OP  LASALLE — His  BRAVE  LIEUTENANT,  TONTI 

Four  European  nations  established  well  merited  claims  to  territory 
in  the  northern  continent  of  the  New  World.  These  were  in  order, 
Spain,  England,  France  and  Holland.  These  nations  of  western  Europe 
all  followed  up  their  original  discoveries  and  eventually  formed  perma- 
nent settlements  and  established  their  civilization  in  the  territory  thus 
occupied. 

CLAIMANTS  TO  AMERICA 

The  English  based  their  claim  to  territory  in  the  New  World  upon 
the  supposed  discovery  of  two  Italian  seamen,  John  and  Sebastian  Ca- 


MAP    SHOWING   THE   ROYAL   GRANTS   TO   VIRGINIA,    CONNECTICUT   AND 

MASSACHUSETTS 

bot,  who  were  at  the  time  in  the  employ  of  Henry  VII.  These  discover- 
ers are  supposed  to  have  traced  the  Atlantic  coast  from  New  Foundland 
to  the  Carolinas.  It  was  upon  these  discoveries  by  the  Cabots  that  Eng- 
land based  her  claim  to  that  part  of  North  America  which  lay  inland 

VoL  I— J 

33 


34  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

from  the  coast  thus  traced.  Thus  Illinois  is  in  the  territory  claimed  by. 
England,  and  in  the  Charter  of  1607,  granted  by  James  1  of  England, 
Illinois  was  included  in  the  territory  belonging  to  the  London  Company. 
In  later  years  the  English  kings  granted  strips  across  the  entire  conti- 
nent, known  as  "sea  to  sea"  grants.  It  thus  came  about  that  Illinois  fell 
in  the  grant  to  Virginia  in  1609,  and  a  portion  of  the  state  as  it  is  today 
fell  in  the  grant  to  Connecticut,  and  a  portion  to  Massachusetts. 

The  Spaniards  settled  the  Floridas,  Texas,  Mexico,  and  Central  and 
South  America.  They  discovered  the  lower  part  of  the  Mississippi  river 
under  the  leadership  of  Ferdinand  DeSoto  in  1541.  The  Spanish  held 
all  west  of  the  Mississippi  as  a  trust  for  France  from  1762  to  1800,  when 
it  was  ceded  back  to  France,  who  sold  it  to  us  in  1803.  During  this  pe- 
riod Illinois  was  held  by  England  and  the  United  States. 

The  Dutch  occupied  the  Hudson  river  valley  as  early  as  1613  and 
eventually  became  a  prosperous  and  contented  people.  They  were  con- 
quered by  the  English  in  1664  and  from  that  date  forward  we  hear 
nothing  of  the  Dutch  in  America  except  as  individuals  or  families  here 
and  there. 

But  the  French  settled  in  the  valley  of  the  St.  Lawrence  and  in  the 
region  of  the  Great  Lakes,  and  their  relation  to  the  early  history  of  Illi- 
nois is  very  important  indeed.  In  the  year  1534  Cartier  came  into  the 
St.  Lawrence,  and  in  1541  attempted  a  settlement  where  afterward  the 
city  of  Quebec  was  located.  But  the  rigor  of  a  Canadian  winter  was  too 
severe  for  the  French  and  the  attempt  was  abandoned  in  the  spring  of 
1541.  We  hear  nothing  more  of  the  French  in  the  valley  of  the  St.  Law- 
rence until  the  coming  of  Champlain  in  1608.  In  that  year  or  the  next 
the  foundations  of  the  future  city  of  Quebec  were  laid. 

Champlain  allied  himself  with  the  Algonquin  Indians,  and  out  of 
this  alliance  came  an  undying  hatred  of  the  Iroquois  Indians  toward  the 
French.  These  Canadian  Indians  were  accustomed  to  make  warlike  in- 
vasions into  the  country  occupied  by  the  Iroquois  Indians.  Champlain 
accompanied  the  Algonquins  on  one  of  these  warlike  expeditions  in  the 
summer  of  1609.  Lake  Champlain  was  discovered  by  the  great  French- 
man, and  the  adjoining  territory  explored.  When  the  allies  were  ready 
to  return  to  Quebec  they  were  attacked  by  the  Iroquois  and  a  severe  bat- 
tle was  fought.  This  was  the  first  time  the  Iroquois  had  ever  seen  or 
heard  a  fire  arm  and  great  fear  possessed  their  souls.  This  incident  ap- 
parently not  a  very  important  matter,  was  far-reaching  in  its  conse- 
quences. It  determined  that  the  New  York  Indians  should  be  implaca- 
ble foes  of  the  French.  It  further  determined  that  the  movements 
of  the  French  into  the  territory  of  the  west  should  be  by  the  Ottawa 
river  and  the  northern  side  of  the  great  lakes,  and  not  down  the  Ohio 
river — the  most  natural  route  from  lower  Canada  to  the  Mississippi 
river. 

Champlain  was  far-seeing  and  patriotic.  He  saw  that  the  influence 
which  the  Jesuit  and  Recollet  priests  would  have  upon  the  Indians  would 
greatly  assist  France  in  the  conquest  of  the  wilds  of  the  New  World.  In 
1615  Champlain  returned  to  France  and  succeeded  in  enlisting  in  his 
cause  a  number  of  priests  of  the  Recollet  order.  The  French  authorities 
in  the  new  world  afterwards  called  to  their  assistance  the  more  vigorous 
Jesuits  and  now  the  real  onward  movement  toward  the  interior  began. 
Mission  posts  were  established  along  the  lakes  as  far  west  as  Green  Bay. 
Missionaries  were  coming  and  going  and  the  geography  of  the  interior 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  35 

was  becoming  better  known  every  year.  Champlain  was  at  the  head  of 
a  company  that  had  been  chartered  by  Louis  XIII,  and  no  small  amount 
of  commercial  enterprise  was  carried  forward  under  his  direction.  He 
gave  direction  to  the  fur  trade  and  to  the  planting  of  missions.  After 
more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  of  most  unexampled  activity  in  the 
cause  of  his  country,  his  king,  and  his  religion,  Champlain  laid  down  his 
burdens,  and  bade  adieu  to  the  scenes  of  his  life-work.  He  died  in  1635. 

Following  the  death  of  Champlain,  the  hostile  attitude  of  the  New 
York  Indians  was  renewed.  "Seldom  did  a  single  year  pass  without 
some  hostile  incursion  or  depredation  upon  the  settlements  from  Que- 
bec to  Montreal."  From  the  death  of  Champlain  to  1649  there  was  a 
period  of  marked  inactivity  in  everything  except  possibly  the  work  of 
individual  priests.  In  1649  and  for  five  years,  death  and  destruction 
reigned  supreme.  A  treaty  was  effected  between  the  French  and  the 
Canadian  Indians  on  one  side  and  the  Iroquois  on  the  other,  and  New 
France  took  on  new  life. 

On  June  14,  1671,  a  congress  of  representatives  of  all  the  tribes 
around  the  great  lakes  was  called  at  Sault  Ste.  Marie.  Seventeen  tribes 
sent  representatives.  Sieur  St.  Lusson  was  sent  by  the  governor  of  New 
France  to  present  the  cause  of  the  king.  Fifteen  Frenchmen,  including 
priests,  traders,  and  government  representatives,  were  present.  After 
much  feasting  and  other  exchange  of  courtesies,  St.  Lusson  made  "the 
formal  announcement  that  he  did  then  and  there  take  possession  of 
Lakes  Huron  and  Superior,  and  all  the  countries  contiguous  and  adja- 
cent thereto  and  southward  to  the  sea,  which  had  been  or  might  hereafter 
be  discovered,  in  the  name  of  the  king  of  France." 

From  this  date  forward  a  new  spirit  of  interest  was  infused  into  the 
government  side  of  the  westward  movement.  Reports  were  frequently 
coming  from  priests,  traders,  and  others  of  the  existence  of  a  great  river 
to  the  westward,  and  that  in  the  region  of  this  great  river  there  were 
great  stretches  of  prairies,  over  which  roamed  the  buffalo  and  hundreds 
of  smaller  animals.  These  interesting  stories  had  also  been  told  by 
Indians  whose  home  was  in  the  vicinity  of  the  great  river. 

MARQUETTE  AND  JOLIET 

Among  those  who  seemed  to  hear  definite  information  relative  to  this 
unexplored  region  along  the  Mississippi  Marquette  was  foremost.  He 
had  conversed  with  the  Indians  from  the  upper  territory  of  the  great 
river.  He  had  in  his  heart  to  visit  this  territory,  and  had  even  mastered 
the  tongue  of  the  Illini.  His  purposes  coming  to  M.  Talon,  intendant  of 
New  France,  that  official,  who  was  now  ready  to  return  to  France  after 
many  years  of  faithful  service  in  the  province,  selected  one  Joliet  to  ac- 
company Marquette  on  the  proposed  expedition  of  discovery  and  ex- 
ploration. 

Marquette  was  born  at  Laon,  France,  in  1637.  He  had  inherited 
from  his  parents  great  religious  fervor.  He  was  a  Jesuit,  and  was  sent 
to  America  in  1666.  He  had  traveled  throughout  the  whole  extent  of 
the  territory  from  the  Lake  Superior  region  to  Quebec.  He  had  en- 
deared himself  to  the  Indians,  had  learned  completely  their  modes  of 
life,  their  language,  and  their  susceptibility  to  religious  instruction.  He 
was  without  doubt  the  most  earnest,  humble,  and  self-sacrificing  priest 
who  worked  among  the  North  American  Indians.  His  qualifications  of 


36 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


head  and  heart  fitted  him  to  work  in  the  three-fold  capacity  of  interpre- 
ter, explorer  and  missionary. 

Joliet  was  a  native  of  New  France,  having  been  born  at  Quebec  in 
1645.  He  was  educated  for  the  priesthood  but  in  early  life  abandoned 
that  profession  to  engage  in  the  vigorous  life  of  a  man  of  the  world  in 


MARQUETTE  AMONG  THE  INDIANS 


business  and  adventure.  He  is  said  to  have  still  retained  much  sympa- 
thy for  the  Jesuits,  whose  ranks  he  had  deserted,  and  this  may  be  the 
reason  he  was  selected  to  accompany  Marquette  on  the  journey  of  ex- 
ploration. 

Joliet  was  directed  by  Frontenac  to  proceed  to  Mackinaw  where  he 
would  be  joined  by  Father  Marquette  who  would  represent  the  church 
on  the  expedition,  as  Joliet  would  the  government.  While  Joliet  was 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  37 

the  official  representing  the  French  government,  Marquette  claimed  a 
higher  and  holier  mission. 

December  the  8th  is  the  day  of  the  celebration  of  the  feast  of  the 
Immaculate  Conception  as  kept  by  the  Catholic  church.  It  was  on  this 
day,  December  8,  1672,  that  Joliet  reached  the  mission  of  St.  Ignace  on 
the  straits  of  Mackinaw,  on  his  way  to  find  the  great  river.  Marquette 
in  writing  this  part  of  the  story,  says : 

"The  day  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  of  the  Virgin,  whom  I  had 
always  invoked  ...  to  obtain  of  God  the  grace  to  be  able  to  visit 
the  nations  on  the  River  Mississippi,  was  identically  that  on  which  M. 
Jollyet  arrived  with  orders  of  the  Counte  de  Frontenac,  our  Governor, 
and  M.  Talon,  our  intendant,  to  make  this  discovery  with  me.  I  was 
the  more  enraptured  at  the  good  news,  as  I  saw  my  designs  on  the  point 
of  being  accomplished,  and  myself  in  the  happy  necessity  of  exposing 
my  life  for  the  salvation  of  all  these  nations,  and  particularly  for  the 
Illinois  .  .  .  who  had  earnestly  entreated  me  to  carry  the  word  of 
God  to  their  country. ' ' 

The  preparations  were  indeed  very  simple.  They  consisted  in  pro- 
viding some  Indian  corn  and  dried  meat.  This  was  the  entire  stock  of 
provisions  with  which  they  started.  They  left  St.  Ignace  with  two  bark 
canoes  and  five  French  voyageurs,  May  17,  1673. 

The  prospect  before  both  Joliet  and  Marquette  was  such  as  greatly 
to  buoy  them  up,  one  looking  forward  to  the  conversion  of  the  Indians, 
the  other  to  the  conquest  of  more  territory  for  his  king.  They  rowed 
with  a  hearty  good  will  and  stopped  only  when  night  forced  them  to 
pull  to  shore.  Their  course  lay  along  the  northern  shore  of  Lake  Michi- 
gan bearing  toward  the  southwest. 

Marquette  says: 

' '  Above  all,  I  put  our  voyage  under  the  protection  of  the  Blessed  Vir- 
gin Immaculate,  promising  her,  that  if  she  did  us  the  grace  to  discover 
the  great  river,  I  would  give  it  the  name  of  Conception;  and  that  I 
would  also  give  that  name  to  the  first  mission  which  I  would  establish 
among  these  new  nations,  as  I  have  actually  done  among  the  Illinois." 

The  expedition  reached  Green  Bay  about  the  first  of  June,  1673. 
Here  Father  Marquette  preached  to  the  Indians.  These  Indians  tried 
to  dissuade  him  from  his  undertaking,  but  nothing  would  now  turn  him 
from  his  purpose  of  visiting  the  Illinois  country.  At  the  head  of  Green 
Bay  was  a  mission  planted,  probably,  by  Father  Allouez  in  1667.  To 
this  mission  they  paid  a  short  visit  and  proceeded  up  Fox  river.  At 
an  Indian  village  on  the  Fox  river  the  travellers  were  received  by  the 
warriors  of  the  Kickapoos,  the  Mascoutins,  and  the  Miamis.  A  short 
conference  was  held.  Marquette  says  he  was  pleased  to  find  here  a  large 
cross  standing  in  the  middle  of  the  village.  Here  the  travellers  asked 
for  two  guides  to  take  them  across  the  portage  to  the  Wisconsin  river. 
The  guides  were  cheerfully  furnished. 

On  June  10,  1673,  Marquette,  Joliet,  and  the  five  Frenchmen,  and 
two  Indian  guides  began  the  journey  across  the  portage.  They  carried 
their  two  canoes  as  well  as  their  provisions  and  other  supplies.  The 
portage  is  a  short  one,  Marquette  says  three  leagues  long.  It  was  full 
of  small  lakes  and  marshes.  When  the  guides  had  seen  the  travellers 
safely  over  the  portage,  they  returned  to  their  own  people.  There  were 
left  here  the  seven  Frenchmen  with  an  unknown  country  ahead  of  them, 
but  they  were  filled  with  the  high  resolve  of  finding  the  Mississippi  and 
of  visiting  the  Illinois  Indians. 


38 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


June  the  17th  their  canoes  shot  out  into  the  broad  Mississippi.  The 
voyagers  were  filled  with  a  joy  unspeakable.  The  journey  now  began 
down  the  stream  without  any  ceremony.  Marquette  made  accurate 
observations  of  the  lay  of  the  land,  the  vegetation,  and  the  animals. 
Among  the  animals  he  mentions  are  deer,  moose,  and  all  sorts  of  fish, 
turkeys,  wild  cattle,  and  small  game. 

Somewhere,  probably  below  Rock  Island,  the  voyagers  discovered 
footprints  and  they  knew  that  the  Illinois  were  not  far  away.  Mar- 
quette and  Joliet  left  their  boats  in  the  keeping  of  the  five  Frenchmen 
and  after  prayers  they  departed  into  the  interior,  following  the  tracks 
of  the  Indians.  They  soon  came  to  an  Indian  village.  The  chiefs  re- 
ceived the  two  whites  with  very  great  ceremony.  The  peace  pipe  was 
smoked  and  Joliet,  who  was  trained  in  all  the  Indian  languages,  told  them 
of  the  purpose  of  their  visit  to  this  Illinois  country.  A  chief  responded 


Drawing  by  Timothy  Ladd,  White  Hall.  Illinois. 

THE  PIASA  BIRD  AS  DESCRIBED  BY  MARQUETTE 

and  after  giving  the  two  whites  some  presents,  among  which  were  a  calu- 
met and  an  Indian  slave  boy,  the  chief  warned  them  not  to  go  further 
down  the  river  for  great  dangers  awaited  them.  Marquette  replied  that 
they  did  not  fear  death  and  nothing  would  please  them  more  than  to  lose 
their  lives  in  God's  service. 

After  promising  the  Indians  they  would  come  again,  they  retired  to 
their  boats,  accompanied  by  600  warriors  from  the  village.  They  de- 
parted from  these  Indians  about  the  last  of  June  and  were  soon  on  their, 
journey  down  the  river. 

As  they  moved  southward  the  bluffs  became  quite  a  marked  feature 
of  the  general  landscape.  After  passing  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois  river, 
they  came  to  unusually  high  bluffs  on  the  the  Illinois  side  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi. At  a  point  about  six  miles  above  the  present  city  of  Alton, 
they  discovered  on  the  high  smooth-faced  bluffs  a  very  strange  object, 
which  Marquette  describes  as  follows: 

As  we  coasted  along  the  rocks,  frightful  for  their  height  and  length, 
we  saw  two  monsters  painted  on  these  rocks,  which  startled  us  at  first, 
and  on  which  the  boldest  Indian  dare  not  gaze  long.  They  are  as  large 
as  a  calf,  with  horns  on  the  head  like  a  deer,  a  frightful  look,  red  eyes, 
bearded  like  a  tiger,  the  face  somewhat  like  a  man's,  the  body  covered 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  39 

with  scales,  and  the  tail  so  long  that  it  twice  makes  the  turn  of  the  body, 
passing  over  the  head  and  down  between  the  legs,  and  ending  at  last  in  a 
fish's  tail.  Green,  red,  and  a  kind  of  black  are  the  colors  employed.  On 
the  whole,  these  two  monsters  are  so  well  painted  that  we  could  not  believe 
any  Indian  to  have  been  the  designer,  as  good  painters  in  Prance  would 
find  it  hard  to  do  as  well;  besides  this,  they  are  so  high  upon  the  rock 
that  it  is  hard  to  get  conveniently  at  them  to  paint  them.  This  is  pretty 
nearly  the  figure  to  these  monsters  as  I  drew  it  off. 

In  an  early  day  in  Illinois,  the  description  of  these  monsters  was 
quite  current  in  the  western  part  of  the  state.  So  also  was  a  tradition 
that  these  monsters  actually  inhabited  a  great  cave  near.  (This  tradition 
described  but  a  single  monster  and  but  a  single  picture.)  The  tradition 
said  that  this  monster  was  a  hideous  creature  with  wings,  and  great 
claws,  and  great  teeth.  It  was  accustomed  to  devour  every  living  thing 
which  came  within  its  reach ;  men,  women,  and  children,  and  animals  of 
all  kinds.  The  Indians  had  suffered  great  loss  of  their  people  from  the 
ravages  of  this  monster  and  a  council  of  war  was  held  to  devise  some 
means  by  which  its  career  might  be  ended.  Among  other  schemes  for 
its  extermination  was  a  proposition  by  a  certain  young  warrior.  It  was 
to  the  effect  that  upon  the  departure  of  the  beast  on  one  of  his  long 
flights  for  food  that  he  would  volunteer  to  be  securely  tied  to  stakes  on 
the  ledge  in  front  of  the  mouth  of  the  cave,  and  that  a  sufficient  number 
of  other  warriors  of  the  tribe  should  be  stationed  near  with  their  poisoned 
arrows  so  that  when  the  bird  should  return  from  its  flight  they  might 
slay  the  monster. 

This  proposition  was  accepted  and  on  a  certain  day  the  bird  took  its 
accustomed  flight.  The  young  warrior  who  offered  to  sacrifice  his  life 
was  securely  bound  to  strong  stakes  in  front  of  the  mouth  of  the  cave. 
The  warriors  who  were  to  slay  the  beast  were  all  safely  hidden  in  the 
rocks  and  debris  near.  In  the  afternoon  the  monster  was  seen  returning 
from  its  long  journey.  Upon  lighting  near  its  cave,  it  discovered  the 
young  warrior  and  immediately  attacked  him,  fastening  its  claws  and 
teeth  in  his  body.  The  thongs  held  him  securely  and  the  more  the  mon- 
ster strove  to  escape  with  its  prey  the  more  its  claws  became  entangled 
in  the  thongs. 

At  a  concerted  moment  the  warriors  all  about  opened  upon  the  mon- 
ster with  their  poisoned  arrows,  and  before  the  beast  could  extricate 
itself,  its  life  blood  was  ebbing  away.  The  death  of  the  dreaded  monster 
had  been  compassed. 

The  warriors  took  the  body  of  the  great  monster  and  stretching  it 
out  so  as  to  get  a  good  picture  of  it,  marked  out  the  form  and  painted  it 
as  it  was  seen  by  Marquette.  Because  the  tribes  of  Indians  had  suffered 
such  destruction  of  life  by  this  monster,  an  edict  went  forth  that  every 
warrior  who  went  by  this  bluff  should  discharge  at  least  one  arrow  at  the 
painting.  This  the  Indians  continued  religiously  to  do.  In  later  years 
when  guns  displaced  the  arrows  among  the  Indians,  they  continued  to 
shoot  at  the  painting  as  they  passed  and  thus  it  is  said  the  face  of  the 
painting  was  greatly  marred. 

Judge  Joseph  Gillespie,  of  Edwardsville,  Illinois,  a  prolific  writer 
and  a  man  of  unimpeachable  character  wrote  in  1883  as  follows : 

I  saw  what  was  called  the  picture  sixty  years  since,  long  before  it 
was  marred  by  quarrymen  or  the  tooth  of  time,  and  I  never  saw  any- 
thing which  would  have  impressed  my  mind  that  it  was  intended  to 


40  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

represent  a  bird.  I  saw  daubs  of  coloring  matter  that  I  supposed  exuded 
from  the  rocks  that  might,  to  very  impressible  people  bear  some  re- 
semblance to  a  bird  or  a  dragon,  after  they  were  told  to  look  at  it  in  that 
light,  just  as  we  fancy  in  certain  arrangements  of  the  stars  we  see  ani- 
mals, etc.,  in  the  constellations.  I  did  see  the  marks  of  the  bullets  shot  by 
the  Indians  against  the  rocks  in  the  vicinity  of  the  so-called  picture. 
Their  object  in  shooting  at  this  I  never  could  comprehend.  I  do  not 
think  the  story  had  its  origin  among  the  Indians  or  was  one  of  their 
superstitions,  but  was  introduced  to  the  literary  world  by  John  Russell, 
of  Bluff  Dale,  Illinois,  who  wrote  a  beautiful  story  about  it. 

The  bluff  has  long  since  disappeared  from  the  use  of  the  stone  for 
building  purposes. 

As  Marquette  and  Joliet  passed  on  down  the  river  they  passed  the 
mouth  of  the  Missouri  which  at  that  time  was  probably  subject  to  a  great 
flood.  When  considerably  below  the  mouth  of  the  Kaskaskia  river  they 
came  to  a  very  noted  object — at  least  the  Indians  had  many  stories  about 
it.  This  is  what  we  know  today  as  the  Grand  Tower.  This  great  rock 
in  the  Mississippi  causes  a  great  commotion  in  the  water  of  the  river  and 
probably  was  destructive  of  canoes  in  those  days. 

On  they  go  down  the  river  past  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio,  into  the  region 
of  semi-tropical  sun  and  vegetation.  The  cane-brakes  lined  the  banks, 
and  the  mosquitoes  became  plentiful  and  very  annoying.  Here  also 
probably  in  the  region  of  Memphis  they  stopped  and  held  councils  with 
the  Indians.  They  found  the  Indians  using  guns,  axes,  hoes,  knives, 
beads,  etc.,  and  when  questioned  as  to  where  they  got  these  articles,  they 
said  to  the  eastward.  These  Indians  told  the  travelers  that  it  was  not 
more  than  ten  days'  travel  to  the  mouth  of  the  river.  They  proceeded  on 
down  the  river  till  they  reached  Choctaw  Bend,  in  latitude  33  degrees 
and  40  minutes.  Here  they  stopped,  held  a  conference,  and  decided  to 
go  no  further. 

They  justified  their  return  in  the  following  manner : 

First,  they  were  satisfied  that  the  Mississippi  emptied  into  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico,  and  not  into  the  Gulf  of  California,  nor  into  the  Atlantic 
ocean  in  Virginia.  Second,  they  feared  a  conflict  with  the  Spaniards 
who  occupied  and  claimed  the  Gulf  coast.  Third,  they  feared  the  Indians 
of  the  lower  Mississippi,  for  they  used  firearms  and  might  oppose  their 
further  progress  south.  Fourth,  they  had  acquired  all  the  information 
they  started  out  to  obtain. 

And  so,  on  the  17th  of  July,  1673,  they  turned  their  faces  homeward. 
They  had  been  just  two  months,  from  May  17,  to  July  17,  on  their  jour- 
ney. They  had  traveled  more  than  a  thousand  miles.  They  had  faced 
all  forms  of  danger  and  had  undergone  all  manner  of  hardships.  Their 
provisions  had  been  obtained  en  route.  France  owed  them  a  debt  of 
gratitude  which  will  never  be  fully  paid.  Indeed  not  only  France,  but 
the  world  is  their  debtor. 

Nothing  of  interest  occurred  on  their  return  journey  until  they 
reached  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois  river.  Here  they  were  told  by  some 
Indians  that  there  was  a  much  shorter  route  to  Green  Bay  than  by 
way  of  the  upper  Mississippi  and  the  Wisconsin  and  Fox  portage. 
This  shorter  route' was  up  the  Illinois  river  to  the  Chicago  portage  and 
then  along  Lake  Michigan  to  Green  Bay. 

Marquette  and  Joliet  proceeded  up  the  Illinois  river.  When  pass- 
ing by  Peoria  lake  they  halted  for  three  days.  While  here  Marquette 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  41 

preached  the  gospel  to  the  natives.  Just  as  Marquette  was  leaving 
they  brought  him  a  dying  child  which  he  baptized.  When  in  the 
vicinity  of  Ottawa,  they  came  to  a  village  of  the  Kaskaskia  Indians. 
Marquette  says  there  were  seventy-four  cabins  in  the  village  and  that 
the  Indians  received  them  kindly.  They  tarried  but  a  short  time  and 
were  escorted  from  this  point  up  the  Illinois  and  over  the  Chicago 
portage  by  one  of  the  Kaskaskia  chiefs  and  several  young  warriors. 

While  in  the  village  of  the  Kaskaskias,  Marquette  told  the  story 
of  the  Cross  to  the  natives,  and  they  were  so  well  pleased  with  it  that 
they  made  him  promise  to  return  to  teach  them  more  about  Jesus. 
Marquette  and  Joliet  reached  Green  Bay  in  the  month  of  September, 
1673.  Probably  they  both  remained  here  during  the  ensuing  winter. 
In  the  summer  of  1674,  Joliet  returned  to  Quebec  to  make  his  report  to 
the  governor.  On  his  way  down  the  St.  Lawrence,  his  boat  upset  and 
he  came  near  losing  his  life.  He  lost  all  his  maps,  papers,  etc.,  and 
was  obliged  to  make  a  verbal  report  to  the  governor. 

Father  Marquette  remained  in  the  mission  of  St.  Francois  Xavier 
through  the  summer  of  1674,  and  late  in  the  fall  started  on  his  journey 
back  to  Kaskaskia.  The  escort  consisted  of  two  Frenchmen  and  some 
Indians.  They  reached  the  Chicago  portage  in  the  midst  of  dis- 
couraging circumstances.  The  weather  was  severe  and  Father  Mar- 
quette, sick  unto  death,  was  unable  to  proceed  further.  On  the  banks 
of  the  Chicago  river  they  built  some  huts  and  here  the  party  remained 
till  spring.  During  the  winter  Father  Marquette  did  not  suffer  for 
want  of  attention,  for  he  was  visited  by  a  number  of  Indians  and  by  at 
least  two  prominent  Frenchmen. 

By  the  last  of  March  he  was  able  to  travel.  He  reached  the  Kas- 
kaskia village  Monday,  April  8,  1675.  He  was  received  with  great  joy 
by  the  Indians.  He  established  the  mission  of  the  Immaculate  Con- 
ception of  the  Blessed  Virgin.  Seeing  he  could  not  possibly  live  long, 
he  returned  to  St.  Ignace  by  way  of  the  Kankakee  portage.  He  never 
lived  to  reach  Mackinaw.  He  died  the  18th  of  May,  1675. 

This  expedition  by  Marquette  and  Joliet  had  carried  the  Lilies  of 
France  nearly  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  The  Indians  in  the  great  plains 
between  the  Great  Lakes  and  the  Gulf  had  been  visited  and  the  re- 
sources of  the  country  noted.  There  remained  but  a  slight  strip  of 
territory  over  which  the  banner  of  France  had  not  floated,  from  the 
Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  If  this  short  distance 
were  explored,  then  the  French  government  would  have  completely 
surrounded  the  English  colonies  in  North  America.  This  is  the  next 
movement  for  the  French  as  we  shall  see. 

THE  TRIUMPHS  AND  DEATH  OP  LASALJOE 

Chevalier  de  La  Salle  came  to  America  in  the  year  1667.  Shortly 
after  arriving  in  this  country  he  established  himself  as  a  fur  trader  at 
a  trading  post  called  La  Chine,  on  the  island  of  Montreal.  Here  he 
came  in  contact  with  the  Indians  from  the  far  west.  Within  two  years 
he  had  departed  on  an  exploration.  For  the  next  two  or  three  years  he 
had  probably  visited  the  Ohio  river  and  had  become  quite  familiar 
with  the  country  to  the  south  and  west  of  the  Great  Lakes. 

Count  Frontenac  built  a  fort  on  the  shore  of  Lake  Ontario  where 
the  lake  sends  its  waters  into  the  St.  Lawrence  river.  La  Salle  was 


42  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

put  in  charge  of  this  fort.  He  named  it  Fort  Frontenac.  The  pur- 
pose of  this  fort  was  to  control  the  fur  trade,  especially  that  from  up  . 
the  Ottawa,  and  prevent  it  from  going  to  New  York.  In  1674  La  Salle 
went  to  France  and  while  there  was  raised  to  the  rank  of  a  noble.  The 
king  was  greatly  pleased  with  the  plans  of  La  Salle  and  readily  granted 
him  the  seigniory  of  Fort  Frontenac,  together  with  a  large  quantity  of 
land.  For  all  this  La  Salle  promised  to  keep  the  fort  in  repair,  to 
maintain  a  garrison  equal  to  that  of  Montreal,  to  clear  the  land,  put 
it  in  a  state  of  cultivation,  and  continually  to  keep  arms,  ammunition, 
and  artillery  in  the  fort.  He  further  agreed  to  pay  Count  Frontenac 
for  the  erection  of  the  fort,  to  build  a  church,  attract  Indians,  make 
grants  of  land  to  settlers,  and  to  do  all  for  the  ultimate  purpose  of 
furthering  the  interests  of  the  French  government. 

La  Salle  returned  from  France  and  was  perhaps  at  Fort  Frontenac 
when  Joliet  passed  down  the  lakes  in  the  summer  of  1674.  The  next 
year  he  began  the  improvement  of  his  fort.  For  two  years  he  prose- 
cuted a  thriving  trade  with  the  Indians  and  also  engaged  in  farming, 
ship-building,  cattle-raising,  and  study. 

The  fall  of  1678  found  him  in  France  with  a  request  that  the  king 
grant  him  permission  to  explore  the  western  part  of  New  France  and 
if  possible  find  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  river.  La  Salle  had 
matured  plans  by  which  New  France  was  to  be  connected  with  the 
western  country  by  a  line  of  strong  fortifications.  Fort  Frontenac 
was  the  first  step  in  this  plan.  He  there  explained  how  easy  it  would 
be  to  reach  the  region  of  the  Great  Lakes  by  the  St.  Lawrence  route 
or  by  the  Mississippi.  There  is  no  doubt  that  both  Frontenac  and  La 
Salle  wished  to  transfer  the  emphasis  from  the  conversion  of  the  Indians 
to  that  of  conquest  of  territory  for  France,  and  to  the  more  profitable 
business,  as  they  saw  it,  of  commerce.  Frontenac  had  therefore  strongly 
endorsed  La  Salle  and  his  plans.  Through  Colbert  and  his  son,  La 
Salle  succeeded  in  getting  his  patent  from  the  king. 

His  BRAVE  LIEUTENANT,  TONTI 

While  in  France  La  Salle  met  Henri  de  Tonti,  an  Italian  who  had 
just  won  distinction  in  the  French  army.  His  father  had  been  en- 
gaged in  an  insurrection  in  Italy  and  had  taken  refuge  in  France  where 
he  became  a  great  financier,  having  originated  the  Tontine  system  of 
life  insurance.  Henri  de  Tonti  had  lost  a  hand  in  one  of  the  cam- 
paigns, but  he  was  nevertheless  a  man  of  great  energy,  and  destined  to 
win  for  himself  an  honored  name  in  the  New  World. 

La  Salle  returned  to  New  France  in  1678,  bringing  with  him  about 
thirty  craftsmen  and  mariners,  together  with  a  large  supply  of  mili- 
tary and  naval  stores.  It  can  readily  be  seen  that  La  Salle  would  be 
opposed  by  the  merchants  and  politicians  in  the  region  of  Quebec  and 
Montreal.  He  had  risen  rapidly  and  was  now  ready  to  make  one  of  the 
most  pretentious  efforts  at  discovery  and  exploration  that  had  been 
undertaken  in  New  France. 

Late  in  the  fall  of  1678,  probably  in  December,  he  sent  Captain 
LaMotte,  and  sixteen  men  to  select  a  suitable  site  for  the  building  of  a 
vessel  with  which  to  navigate  the  upper  lakes.  Captain  LaMotte  stopped 
at  the  rapids  below  Niagara  Falls  and  seems  to  have  been  indifferent 
to  his  mission.  La  Salle  and  Tonti  arrived  the  8th  of  January,  1679. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  43 

The  next  day  La  Salle  went  above  the  falls  and  selected  a  place  to 
construct  the  vessel.  (The  exact  place  is  in  doubt,  probably  at  Tona- 
wanda  creek.) 

Tonti  was  charged  with  building  the  vessel.  It  was  launched  in 
May,  1679,  and  was  christened  the  Griffin  (Griffon).  It  was  of  forty- 
five  to  fifty  tons  burden  and  carried  a  complement  of  five  cannon,  and 
is  supposed  to  have  cost  about  $10,000. 

An  expedition  of  traders  had  been  dispatched  into  the  Illinois 
country  for  the  purpose  of  traffic,  in  the  fall  of  1678.  Tonti  and  a 
small  party  went  up  Lake  Erie  and  were  to  await  the  coming  of  the 
Griffin  at  the  head  of  the  lake.  The  Griffin  weighed  anchor  August  7, 
1679,  amid  the  booming  of  cannon  and  the  chanting  of  the  Te  Deum. 
It  arrived  at  what  is  now  Detroit  on  the  10th,  and  there  found  Tonti 
and  his  party.  The  vessel  reached  Mackinaw  on  the  27th  of  August. 
Here  La  Salle  found  the  men  whom  he  had  dispatched  the  year  before 
to  traffic  with  the  Indians.  He  found  they  had  been  dissuaded  from 
proceeding  to  the  Illinois  country  by  the  report  that  La  Salle  was 
visionary  and  that  his  ship  would  never  reach  Mackinaw.  Tonti  was 
given  the  task  of  getting  these  men  together,  and  while  he  was  thus 
engaged,  La  Salle  sailed  in  the  Griffin  for  Green  Bay. 

Green  Bay  had  been  for  several  years  a  meeting  place  between  white 
traders  and  explorers,  and  the  Indians.  When  La  Salle  reached  the 
point,  he  found  some  of  the  traders  whom  he  had  sent  ahead  the  year 
before.  These  traders  had  collected  from  the  Pottowatomies  large 
quantities  of  furs.  For  these  furs  La  Salle  exchanged  a  large  stock  of 
European  goods  with  which  the  Griffin  was  loaded.  It  is  said  that  he 
made  a  large  sum  of  money  in  this  transaction.  The  Griffin  was  loaded 
with  these  furs  and  made  ready  to  return  to  the  warehouses  at  Niagara. 

On  September  the  18th,  the  Griffin,  in  charge  of  a  trusted  pilot,  a 
supercargo,  and  five  sailors,  started  on  the  return  voyage.  La  Salle  on 
the  19th  of  September,  1679,  with  a  company  of  fourteen  persons,  in 
four  birch  bark  canoes,  loaded  with  a  blacksmith's  forge,  carpenter's 
tools,  merchandise,  arms,  provision,  etc.,  started  on  his  journey  for  the 
Illinois  country.  He  coasted  along  the  western  shore  of  Lake  Michi- 
gan. Their  provision  was  exhausted  before  they  reached  the  present 
site  of  Milwaukee.  They  had  been  forced  ashore  three  times  to  save 
their  boats  and  their  lives.  They  now  went  in  search  of  food  and  for- 
tunately found  a  deserted  Indian  village  with  plenty  of  corn.  They 
appropriated  the  corn,  but  left  some  articles  as  pay.  The  next  day  the 
Indians  returned  and  followed  the  whites  to  their  boats  and  it  was  only 
by  presenting  the  calumet  that  La  Salle  was  able  to  appease  them. 

From  Milwaukee  they  coasted  south  past  the  mouth  of  the  Chicago 
river  and  following  the  southerly  bend  of  the  lake  reached  the  mouth  of 
the  St.  Joseph  river  November  1,  1679.  This  had  been  appointed  as  the 
meeting  place  of  the  two  expeditions — the  one  under  La  Salle  and  the 
one  under  Tonti.  La  Salle  was  anxious  to  get  to  the  Illinois  country, 
but  he  also  desired  the  help  of  Tonti  and  as  the  latter  had  not  yet  ar- 
rived, La  Salle  occupied  the  time  of  his  men  in  building  a  palisade  fort 
which  he  named  Fort  Miami.  Near  by,  he  erected  a  bark  chapel  for 
the  use  of  the  priests,  and  also  a  storehouse  for  the  goods  which  the 
Griffin  was  to  bring  from  Niagara  on  its  return. 

Tonti  arrived  at  Fort  Miami  on  the  12th  of  November  with  only  a 
portion  of  his  company,  the  rest  remaining  behind  to  bring  word  of  the 


44  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

Griffin.  La  Salle  was  now  impatient  to  proceed,  and  dispatching  Tonti 
for  the  rest  of  his  crew  waited  for  his  return.  The  ice  began  to  form 
and  fearing  the  freezing  over  of  the  river,  La  Salle  ascended  the  St. 
Joseph  in  search  of  the  portage  between  the  Kankakee  and  the  St. 
Joseph.  He  went  up  the  St.  Joseph  beyond  the  portage  and  while 
searching  for  it,  was  overtaken  by  a  courier  who  told  him  Tonti  and 
his  party  were  at  the  portage  farther  down  the  river.  .This  point  is 
supposed  to  have  been  near  the  present  city  of  South  Bend,  Indiana. 
Here  was  now  assembled  the  party  which  was  to  become  a  very  historic 
one.  There  were  in  all  twenty-nine  Frenchmen  and  one  Indian.  Among 
them  were  La  Salle,  De  Tonti,  Fathers  Louis  Hennepin,  Zenobe  Mem- 
bre,  and  Gabriel  de  La  Ribourde,  and  La  Metairie,  a  notary,  and  De 
Loup,  the  Indian  guide.  They  crossed  the  portage  of  three  or  four 
miles  under  great  difficulties,  dragging  their  canoes  and  their  burdens 
on  sledges.  The  ice  was  getting  thick  and  a  heavy  snow  storm  was 
raging.  By  the  6th  of  December,  1679,  they  were  afloat  on  the  Kan- 
kakee. For  many  miles  the  country  was  so  marshy  that  scarcely  a 
camping  place  could  be  found,  but  soon  they  emerged  into  an  open  re- 
gion of  the  country  with  tall  grass  and  then  they  knew  they  were  in 
the  Illinois  country.  They  suffered  from  lack  of  food,  having  killed 
only  two  deer,  one  buffalo,  two  geese,  and  a  few  swans.  As  they  jour- 
neyed on  they  passed  the  mouths  of  the  Iroquois,  the  Des  Plaines,  and  the 
Fox.  They  passed  the  present  site  of  Ottawa  and  a  few  miles  below  they 
came  to  the  Kaskaskia  village  where  Marquette  had  planted  the  mis- 
sion of  the  Immaculate  Conception  in  the  summer  of  1675.  Father 
Allouez  had  succeeded  Marquette  and  had  spent  some  time  at  the 
Kaskaskia  village  in  1676,  and  in  1677  he  came  again.  But  on  the  ap- 
proach of  La  Salle  Allouez  had  departed  for  it  was  understood  that 
almost  all  of  the  Jesuit  priests  were  opposed  to  La  Salle 's  plans  of 
commercializing  the  interior  of  North  America.  The  Kaskaskia  In- 
dians were  themselves  absent  from  the  village  on  an  expedition  to  the 
south-land  as  was  their  winter  custom. 

This  Kaskaskia  village  of  four  hundred  lodges  was  uninhabited. 
The  huts  were  built  by  covering  a  long  arbor-like  frame  work  with 
mats  of  woven  rushes.  In  each  lodge  there  was  room  for  as  many  as 
ten  families.  In  their  hiding  places,  the  Indians  had  secreted  large 
quantities  of  corn  for  the  spring  planting  and  for  sustenance  till  an- 
other crop  could  be  raised.  La  Salle 's  party  was  so  sorely  in  need  of 
this  corn  that  he  decided  to  appropriate  as  much  as  they  needed.  This 
he  did,  taking  30  minots.  On  January  1,  1680,  after  mass  by  Father 
Hennepin,  they  departed  down  the  Illinois  river.  On  the  morning  of 
the  5th  they  had  arrived  at  the  outlet  of  what  we  call  Peoria  lake. 
Here  they  saw  large  numbers  of  boats  and  on  the  banks  wigwams  and 
large  numbers  of  Indians.  The  Indians  were  much  disconcerted  upon 
seeing  La  Salle 's  party  land,  and  many  fled  while  a  few  held  communi- 
cation with  the  newcomers.  La  Salle  held  a  consultation  with  the  chiefs 
and  told  them  of  his  taking  their  corn.  He  offered  to  pay  for  the  corn 
and  said  that  if  he  were  compelled  to  give  up  the  corn  he  would  take 
his  blacksmith  and  his  tools  to  the  next  tribe,  the  Osages,  whereupon 
the  Indians  gladly  accepted  pay  for  the  corn  taken  and  offered  more. 

La  Salle  told  them  he  wished  to  be  on  friendly  terms  with  them, 
but  that  they  must  not  expect  him  to  engage  in  conflicts  with  the  Iro- 
quois whom  his  king  regarded  as  his  children.  But  if  they  would  al- 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  45 

low  him  to  build  a  fort  near,  that  he  would  defend  them,  the  Kaskas- 
kias,  against  the  Iroquois  if  they  were  attacked.  He  also  told  them  he 
wished  to  know  whether  he  could  navigate  a  large  boat  from  that  point 
to  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  river,  since  it  was  very  difficult  as  well 
as  dangerous  to  bring  such  European  goods  as  the  Indians  would  like 
to  have  from  New  France  by  way  of  the  Great  Lakes,  and  that  it  could 
not  well  be  done  by  coming  across  the  Iroquois  country  as  they  would 
object  since  the  Illinois  Indians  and  the  Iroquois  were  enemies. 

The  Kaskaskia  chiefs  told  La,  Salle  that  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi 
was  only  twenty  days '  travel  away  and  that  there  were  no  obstructions 
to  navigation.  Certain  Indian  slaves  taken  in  battle  said  they  had 
been  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  and  that  they  had  seen  ships  at  sea  that 
made  noises  like  thunder.  This  made  La  Salle  the  more  anxious  to 
reach  the  mouth  of  the  river  and  take  possession  of  the  country.  The 
chiefs  gave  consent  to  the  construction  of  the  fort  and  La  Salle  had 
a  bright  vision  before  him.  This  vision  was  sadly  clouded  on  the  mor- 
row when  an  Indian  revealed  to  him  the  visit  to  the  chiefs,  on  the  night 
before,  of  a  Miami  chief  by  the  name  of  Monso  who  tried  to  undermine 
the  influence  of  La  Salle.  He  said  La  Salle  was  deceiving  them.  In  a 
council  that  day  he  revealed  his  knowledge  of  the  visit  of  Monso  and 
by  great  diplomacy  won  the  Kaskaskia  chiefs  to  his  cause  the  second 
time.  It  was  supposed  this  chief  Monso  was  sent  at  the  suggestion  of 
Father  Allouez.  Four  of  La  Salle 's  men  deserted  him  and  returned 
to  the  region  of  Lake  Michigan. 

La  Salle,  fearing  the  influence  of  the  stories  among  the  Indians,  up- 
on his  men,  decided  to  separate  from  them  and  go  further  down  the 
river  where  he  could  construct  his  fort  and  built  his  boat.  On  the 
evening  of  the  15th  of  January,  1680,  La  Salle  moved  to  a  point  on  the 
east  side  of  the  river  three  miles  below  the  present  site  of  Peoria.  There 
on  a  projection  from  the  bluffs  he  built  with  considerable  labor  a  fort 
which  received  the  name  of  Crevecceur.  This  was  the  fourth  of  the 
great  chains  of  forts  which  La  Salle  had  constructed,  namely:  Fort 
Frontenac  at  the  outlet  of  Lake  Ontario;  Fort  Conti  on  the  Niagara 
river ;  Fort  Miami  at  the  mouth  of  St.  Joseph  river,  and  Crevecceur  be- 
low Lake  Peoria  on  the  Illinois  river. 

Fort  Crevecceur  is  currently  believed  to  have  been  so  named  because 
of  the  disheartened  frame  of  mind  of  La  Salle,  but  this  would  not  be 
complimentary  to  the  character  of  the  man.  It  is  now  rather  believed 
to  have  been  named  in  honor  of  Tonti,  since  as  a  soldier  in  the  Nether- 
lands he  took  part  in  the  destruction  of  Fort  Crevecceur  near  the  vil- 
lage of  Bois  le  Due  in  the  year  1672. 

In  addition  to  the  building  of  the  fort,  La  Salle  began  the  construc- 
tion of  a  vessel  with  which  to  complete  his  journey  to  the  mouth  of 
the  river.  The  lumber  was  sawed  from  the  timber  and  rapid  progress 
was  made.  The  keel  was  42  feet  long,  and  the  beam  was  12  feet.  While 
this  work  was  in  progress  and  during  the  month  of  February,  several 
representatives  of  tribes  from  up  the  Mississippi  and  down  the  Missis- 
sippi, as  well  as  from  the  Miamis  to  the  northeast,  came  to  consult 
with  La  Salle.  His  presence  in  the  Illinois  country  was  known  far  and 
near.  The  Indians  from  the  upper  Mississippi  brought  tempting  de- 
scriptions of  routes  to  the  western  sea  and  also  of  the  wealth  of  beaver 
with  which  their  country  abounded. 

La  Salle  desired  to  make  a  visit  to  Fort  Frontenac  for  sails,  cord- 


46 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


age,  iron,  and  other  material  for  his  boat,  besides  he  was  very  anxious 
to  hear  something  definite  about  the  Griffin  and  its  valuable  cargo. 
But  before  embarking  on  his  long  journey,  he  fitted  out  an  expedition 
consisting  of  Michael  Ako,  Antony  Auguel,  and  Father  Hennepin,  to 
explore  the  upper  Mississippi.  Michael  Ako  was  the  leader.  They 
started  February  the  29th,  passed  down  the  Illinois  river  and  thence 
up  the  Mississippi.  They  carried  goods  worth  a  thousand  livres,  which 
were  to  be  exchanged  for  furs.  Father  Hennepin  took  St.  Anthony 
for  his  patron  saint  and  when  near  the  falls  which  we  know  by  that 
name,  he  set  up  a  post  upon  which  he  engraved  the  cross  and  the  coat  of 
arms  of  France.  He  was  shortly  captured  by  the  Indians  and  was  later 
released  by  a  French  trader,  De  Lhut.  He  then  returned  to  France. 

Before  starting  for  Frontenac,  La  Salle  commissioned  Tonti  to  have 
charge  of  the  Crevecoeur  fort,  and  also  to  build  a  fort  at  Starved  Rock. 
On  March  1,  the  day  following  the  departure  of  Ako  and  Ilennepin 


STARVED  ROCK  UPON  WHICH  JOLIET  BUILT  FORT  ST.  Louis 

for  the  upper  Mississippi,  La  Salle  departed,  with  three  companions, 
for  Fort  Frontenac.  This  was  a  long,  dangerous,  and  discouraging 
journey.  Every  venture  which  he  had  engaged  in  seems  to  have  failed. 
After  finally  getting  together  supplies  such  as  were  needed,  he  started 
on  his  return  journey.  He  was  continually  hearing  stories  from  the 
travellers  of  the  desertion  of  Crevecceur.  When  he  came  within  a  few 
miles  of  the  Kaskaskia  village  he  began  to  see  signs  of  destruction. 
On  arriving  at  the  village  nothing  but  a  few  blackened  posts  remained. 
The  Iroquois  Indians  had  made  a  campaign  against  the  Illinois  Indians 
and  their  trail  could  be  traced  by  death  and  destruction. 

When  La  Salle  left  the  locality  of  Starved  Rock  for  Fort  Creve- 
coeur, on  his  way  from  Canada,  he  passed  the  Iroquois  on  one  side  of 
the  river  and  the  Illinois  on  the  other.  He  searched  everywhere  for 
Tonti  but  could  find  no  trace  of  him.  He  came  to  Crevecoeur  about  the 
first  of  December,  1680,  and  found  the  fort  deserted  and  the  store- 
house plundered;  the  boat,  however,  was  without  damage.  La  Salle 
went  to  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois  river  in  search  of  Tonti  but  without 
success.  He  returned  to  Fort  Miami  in  the  spring  of  1681.  Here  he 
began  the  organization  of  all  the  Indian  tribes  into  a  sort  of  confedera- 
tion. 

Upon  the  approach  of  the  Iroquois  shortly  after  the  departure  of 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  47 

La  Salle  from  Fort  Crevecoeur,  in  March,  1680,  Tonti  and  his  party 
were  scattered  far  and  near.  Tonti  and  Father  Membre  made  their  way 
to  Green  Bay  and  from  there  to  Mackinaw.  La  Salle  heard  of  them 
here  and  went  immediately  to  them.  Another  expedition  was  organ- 
ized. La  Salle,  Father  Membre,  and  Tonti  visited  Fort  Frontenac 
where  supplies  were  procured  and  late  in  December,  1681,  the  expedi- 
tion had  crossed  the  Chicago  portage.  There  were  in  this  company 
fifty-four  pople — twenty-three  Frenchmen  and  thirty-one  Indians. 

They  passed  the  Kaskaskia  village  near  Starved  Rock  but  it  was  in 
ruins.  On  January  the  25th,  1682,  they  reached  Fort  Crevecoeur.  The 
fort  was  in  fair  condition.  Here  they  halted  six  days,  while  the  In- 
dians made  some  elm  bark  canoes.  They  reached  the  Mississippi  the 
6th  of  February.  After  a  little  delay  they  proceeded  down  the  river, 
passed  the  mouth  of  the  Missouri  and  shortly  after  that  a  village  of  the 
Tamaroa  Indians.  The  village  contained  one  hundred  and  twenty 
cabins,  but  they  were  all  deserted.  La  Salle  left  presents  on  the  posts 
for  the  villagers  when  they  returned.  Grand  Tower  was  passed,  later 
the  Ohio.  The  trip  to  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  was  without  special 
interest.  They  reached  the  mouth  of  the  river  in  April,  and  on  the 
ninth  of  that  month  erected  a  post  upon  which  they  nailed  the  arras 
of  France  wrought  from  a  copper  kettle.  A  proclamation  was  pre- 
pared by  the  notary,  Jacques  de  la  Metairie,  and  read.  It  recited 
briefly  their  journey  and  a  formal  statement  of  the  King's  taking  pos- 
session of  the  country  drained  by  the  Mississippi  and  its  tributaries. 

On  the  10th  of  April  the  party  began  the  return  journey.  La  Salle 
was  stricken  with  a  severe  illness  and  was  obliged  to  remain  at  Fort 
Prudhomme  which  had  been  erected  on  the  Chickasaw  bluffs  just  above 
Vicksburg.  Tonti  was  sent  forward  to  look  after  his  leader's  interest. 
He  went  by  Fort  Miami,  but  found  everything  in  order.  He  reached 
Mackinaw  the  22d  of  July. 

La  Salle  reached  Crevecceur  on  his  way  north.  He  left  eight 
Frenchmen  here  to  hold  this  position.  He  reached  Fort  Miami,  and 
from  there  passed  on  to  Mackinaw.  From  there  he  sent  Father  Mem- 
bre to  France  to  report  his  discovery  to  the  king,  while  he  himself  set 
about  the  building  of  Fort  St.  Louis,  on  Starved  Rock.  The  detach- 
ment left  by  La  Salle  at  Crevecoeur  was  ordered  north  to  Fort  St. 
Louis,  and  he  began  to  grant  his  followers  small  areas  of  land  in  recog- 
nition of  their  services  with  him  in  the  past  few  years.  The  fort  was 
completed  and  in  March,  1683,  the  ensign  of  France  floated  to  the  breeze. 
The  tribes  for  miles  in  circuit  came  to  the  valley  about  the  fort  and 
encamped.  La  Salle  patiently  looked  for  French  settlers  from  New 
France  but  they  did  not  come. 

During  the  absence  of  La  Salle  at  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi, 
Count  Frontenac  had  been  superseded  by  Sieur  de  La  Barre,  who  had 
assumed  the  duties  of  his  office  October  9,  1682.  He  was  not  friendly 
to  La  Salle 's  schemes  of  extending  the  possessions  of  France  in  the 
New  World.  La  Salle  suspected  in  the  summer  of  1683  that  the  new 
governor  was  not  in  sympathy  with  him.  And  after  a  great  deal  of 
fruitless  correspondence  with  the  new  governor.  La  Salle  repaired  to 
France  to  lay  before  the  king  his  new  discoveries  as  well  as  plans  for 
the  future.  Tonti  was  displaced  as  commander  at  Fort  St.  Louis  and 
ordered  to  Quebec.  La  Salle  not  only  secured  a  fleet  for  the  trip  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Mississippi,  but  also  had  Tonti  restored  to  command  at 


48  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

Fort  St.  Louis.  La  Salle  sailed  to  the  Gulf  in  the  spring  of  1685.  He 
failed  to  find  the  mouth  of  the  river  and  landed  in  what  is  now  Texas. 
After  hardships  and  discouragement  almost  beyond  belief,  he  was 
murdered  by  some  of  his  own  men  the  latter  part  of  March,  1687. 

La  Salle  went  to  France  in  the  summer  of  1683  and  left  Tonti  in 
charge  of  his  interests  in  the  Illinois  country.  Tonti  was  active  in  the 
defense  of  his  superior 's  interest.  In  this  duty  he  was  forced  to  defend 
the  Illinois  country  against  the  Iroquois,  and  to  struggle  against  La 
Salle 's  enemies  in  New  France.  He  made  expeditions  of  trade  and 
exploration  throughout  all  the  western  country,  took  part  in  a  great 
campaign  against  the  Iroquois,  and  was  the  life  of  a  growing  com- 
munity around  Fort  St.  Louis. 

The  death  of  La  Salle  occurred  in  the  spring  of  1687.  Just  one 
year  previous  to  this  Tonti  had  made  a  trip  to  the  Gulf  in  search  of 
La  Salle  but  failing  to  find  him  returned  sorrowfully  to  Fort  St.  Louis. 
In  September,  1688,  Tonti  heard  definitely  of  the  death  of  La  Salle. 
In  December  of  that  year  he  organized  an  expedition  to  rescue  the 
colonists  whom  La  Salle  had  left  on  the  coast  of  the  Gulf.  This  expe- 
dition also  proved  a  failure.  For  the  next  ten  years  Tonti  remained 
in  the  region  of  the  Lakes,  but  when  Bienville  began  planting  new  set- 
tlements near  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  river,  Tonti  abandoned  Fort 
St  Louis  and  joined  the  new  settlements.  He  died  near  Mobile  in  1704. 


CHAPTER  V 
PERMANENT  SETTLEMENTS  IN  ILLINOIS 

KASKASKIA    SETTLED — GRANTS   OF    LAND — OTHER    SETTLEMENTS — WAR 
AND  PROGRESS — GOVERNMENT,  CIVIL  AND  RELIGIOUS 

Prior  to  the  close  of  the  seventeenth  century,  there  were  at  least 
four  points  where  permanent  settlements  might  easily  have  been 
planted.  These  were  at  Chicago,  Fort  St.  Louis,  the  Kaskaskia  vil- 
lage below  Ottawa,  and  at  Fort  Crevecceur.  Whether  any  of  them 
ought  to  be  regarded  as  the  first  settlement  is  doubtful.  Some  have 
contended  that  Kaskaskia  and  Cahokia  in  the  American  bottom  were 
settled  as  early  as  the  return  of  La  Salle  from  the  mouth  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi in  the  year  1682.  Again  others  have  claimed  that  Tonti 
planted  Kaskaskia  in  1686,  but  Tonti  accompanied  St.  Cosme,  the  mis- 
sionary, down  the  Mississippi  in  the  year  1699.  On  the  5th  of  Decem- 
ber of  that  year  they  reached  the  Mississippi  from  the  Illinois  and  the 
next  day  which  would  be  the  6th  they  reached  the  village  of  the  Ta- 
maroa  Indians  which  was  evidently  the  village  of  Cahokia.  These  In- 
dians had  never  seen  a  "black  gown"  which  is  good  proof  that  there 
was  no  mission  at  that  point.  A  few  days  later  they  erected  a  cross 
on  a  high  bluff  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Mississippi  river  and  "prayed 
that  God  might  grant  that  the  cross  which  had  never  been  known  in 
those  regions,  might  triumph  there."  The  point  was  marked  on  an 
old  map  about  fifteen  miles  below  the  present  mouth  of  the  Kaskaskia 
river. 

KASKASKIA  SETTLED 

Father  James  Gravier,  who  was  the  priest  in  charge  of  the  mission 
of  the  Immaculate  Conception  in  1695  and  again  in  1703,  made  a  jour- 
ney from  the  portage  of  Chicago  down  the  Illinois  river  in  September, 
1700,  and  says  when  he  arrived  at  the  Kaskaskia  mission  which  was 
then  in  charge  of  Father  Marest  that  the  people  had  moved  down  the 
river.  He  seems  to  have  overtaken  them  on  the  Illinois  river  and  to 
have  marched  with  them  four  days.  He  left  Father  Marest  sick  at  the 
village  of  the  Tamaroas  (Cahokia)  and  proceeded  down  the  river. 
Shortly  after  this  the  mission  was  located  at  the  village  of  Kaskaskia 
a  few  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  river  of  the  same  name. 

The  records  of  the  church  of  the  "Immaculate  Conception  of  our 
Lady"  now  in  possession  of  the  priest  in  charge  at  New  Kaskaskia, 
show  that  baptisms  were  performed  upon  children  born  in  the  parish 
—three  in  1695.  one  in  1697.  two  in  1698,  two  in  1699,  one  in  1700,  one 
in  1701,  two  in  1702,  etc. 

Vol.  T— 4 

49 


50 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


The  Indians  and  the  few  Frenchmen  who  came  to  the  Kaskaskia 
of  the  last  century  built  their  huts  by  weaving  grasses  and  reeds  into 
a  frame-work  of  upright  poles  set  in  rectangular  form.  The  roof  was 
thatched  as  was  the  custom  among  the  Indians.  The  ground  was  very 
rich  and  a  rude  sort  of  agriculture  was  begun.  In  those  days,  the 
travel  up  and  down  the  Mississippi  was  considerable.  The  French 


CHALICE  AND  RECORDS  BELONGING  TO  THE  CHURCH  OF  THE  IMMACULATE 

CONCEPTION.     ALSO  TABLE  UPON  WHICH  CONSTITUTION 

OP  1818  WAS  WRITTEN 

were  just  taking  possession  of  the  mouth  of  the  river  and  there  was 
need  of  communication  with  New  France  and  hence  the  travel. 

A  very  interesting  picture  has  been  given  of  the  life  in  this  village. 
The  Kaskaskia  church  records  show  that  on  March  20,  1695,  James 
Gravier  was  the  priest  in  charge.  September  7,  1699,  Gabriel  Marest 
was  officially  connected  with  the  church.  April  13,  1703,  James  Gra- 
vier officiated.  In  1707,  January  19,  P.  J.  Mermet  officiated  in  the  bap- 
tism of  an  infant.  Father  Marest  says  of  Mermet  that  he  was  the  soul 
of  the  mission,  and  in  describing  his  work  says : 

The  gentle  virtues  and  fervid  eloquence  of  Mermet  made  him  the 
soul  of  the  Mission  of  Kaskaskia.  At  early  dawn  his  pupils  came  to 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  51 

church,  dressed  neatly  and  modestly  each  in  a  deer-skin  or  a  robe 
sewn  together  from  several  skins.  After  receiving  lessons  they  chanted 
canticles;  mass  was  then  said  in  presence  of  all  the  Christians,  the 
French,  and  the  converts — the  women  on  one  side  and  the  men  on 
the  other.  From  prayers  and  instruction  the  missionaries  proceeded 
to  visit  the  sick  and  administer  medicine,  and  their  skill  as  physicians 
did  more  than  all  the  rest  to  win  confidence.  In  the  afternoon  the 
catechism  was  taught  in  the  presence  of  the  young  and  the  old,  when 
every  one  without  distinction  of  rank  or  age  answered  the  questions 
of  the  missionary.  At  evening  all  would  assemble  at  the  chapel  for 
instruction,  for  prayer,  and  to  chant  the  hymns  of  the  church.  On 
Sundays  and  festivals,  even  after  vespers,  a  homily  was  pronounced; 
at  the  close  of  the  day  parties  would  meet  in  houses  to  recite  the  chap- 
lets  in  alternate  choirs  and  sing  psalms  till  late  at  night.  These  psalms 
were  often  homilies,  with  words  set  to  familiar  tunes.  Saturdays  and 
Sundays  were  the  days  appointed  for  confession  and  communion,  and 
every  convert  confessed  once  in  a  fortnight.  The  success  of  this  was 
such  that  marriages  of  the  French  immigrants  were  sometimes  solem- 
nized with  the  daughters  of  Illinois,  according  to  the  rites  of  the  Cath- 
olic church.  The  occupation  of  the  country  was  a  cantonment  among 
the  native  proprietors  of  the  forests  and  prairies. 

From  this  we  see  that  apparently  one  of  the  chief  interests  of  the 
colony  was  religious.  And  without  doubt  the  priest  did  exert  great 
influence  over  the  settlement.  But  we  must  not  forget  that  the  trader 
was  abroad  in  the  land.  His  influence  with  the  Indians  was  not  less 
marked  than  that  of  the  priest.  He  held  in  his  grasp  the  means  by 
which  the  Indians  could  be  influenced  for  good  if  he  wished,  for  ill  if 
he  chose.  He  had  long  since  discovered  that  blankets  and  knives, 
and  calicoes,  and  fire  water  exerted  very  great  influence  upon  the  na- 
tives. The  trader  and  the  priest  were  for  several  years  the  dominant 
factors  in  the  community  life  of  our  first  permanent  settlement. 
Every  one  hunted  and  fished,  and  all  conformed  largely  to  the  habits 
and  customs  of  the  Indians. 

Cahokia  was  situated  a  very  short  distance  below  the  present  city 
of  East  St.  Louis,  probably  six  miles  from  the  Relay  depot.  This  was 
called  the  "Mission  of  St.  Sulpice. "  The  early  priests  who  labored 
here  were  Fathers  Pinet  and  Bineteau.  Pinet  is  said  to  have  preached 
with  such  power  and  attractiveness  that  his  chapel  could  not  hold  the 
multitudes  who  came  to  hear  him.  Bineteau  wandered  off  with  a  band 
of  Indians  and  died  in  the  interior  of  the  country.  After  the  death 
of  Pinet,  Father  Gabriel  Marest  came  to  this  mission.  Cahokia  was 
a  good  trading  point  with  the  northern  Indians.  Evidently  the  Peo- 
rias  traded  with  Cahokia  people,  for  in  1711  Father  Marest  left 
Cahokia  to  serve  the  Peoria  Indians,  and  this  action  was  taken  after 
what  appears  to  be  some  pleading.  The  soil  was  fertile  and  its  cul- 
tivation commenced  at  an  early  date.  The  village  was  first  built  on  the 
east  bank  of  the  Mississippi  and  on  a  little  creek  which  flowed  across 
the  alluvial  bottom.  By  1721,  the  Mississippi  had  carved  a  new  chan- 
nel westward  so  that  the  village  was  one-half  league  from  the  river. 
The  little  creek  also  took  another  course  and  thus  the  village  was  left 
inland.  Cahokia  as  well  as  Kaskaskia  received  quite  an  increase  in 
French  population  in  1708,  and  farming  was  begun  in  some  systematic 
way. 


ILLINOIS  LIBRARY 
<U  UKBANA-CHAMPAIGN 


52  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

When  La  Salle  went  to  France  in  1683  and  got  permission  to  or- 
ganize a  fleet,  it  was  his  intention  to  come  into  the  Illinois  country  by 
way  of  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi,  and  thus  avoid  having  to  pass 
through  New  France  where  his  enemies  would  have  delighted  to  thwart 
all  his  plans.  He  missed  the  mouth  of  the  river,  lost  his  life,  and  the 
expedition  ended  in  failure.  But  the  king  who  had  just  signed  a 
treaty  of  peace  with  England  (at  the  close  of  King  William's  war), 
saw  the  necessity  of  possessing  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  river. 
Expeditions  were  therefore  organized  to  take  possession  of  the  Louis- 
iana country,  by  way  of  the  mouth  of  the  great  river.  Iberville  sailed 
from  France  in  1698  with  two  ships  expecting  to  enter  the  mouth  of 
the  Mississippi.  He  anchored  in  Mobile  bay  and  reached  the  Missis- 
sippi by  small  boats.  Here  he  was  given  a  letter  which  Tonti  had  writ- 
ten while  searching  for  La  Salle  in  1686.  The  letter  had  been  left  in 
the  forks  of  a  tree.  Iberville  now  knew  he  was  on  the  Mississippi 
river.  Not  finding  a  good  place  to  plant  a  colony  he  returned  to  Mo- 
bile bay  and  began  a  settlement  at  what  came  to  be  Biloxi.  From  now 
on  for  the  next  half  century  every  move  by  the  French  government  meant 
the  completion  of  a  great  chain  of  fortresses  between  the  mouth  of  the 
great  river  and  New  France.  All  the  territory  drained  by  the  Mississippi 
was  named  Louisiana  by  La  Salle.  It  thus  occurred  that  Illinois  came 
to  be  a  part  of  Louisiana. 

From  1702  to  1713,  France  waged  war  against  England.  This  is 
what  is  usually  known  as  Queen  Anne's  war.  The  immediate  effect  of 
this  was  not  felt  in  the  Louisiana  territory.  The  struggle  in  the  New 
World  was  confined  to  the  regions  of  New  England,  and  New  France. 
The  end  of  the  war  found  England  in  possession  of  Acadia  and  of 
the  region  around  Hudson  bay.  However,  France  had  shown  her 
strength  by  repelling  all  attempts  of  England  to  get  control  of  the  St. 
Lawrence  river. 

While  the  war  was  in  progress  France  was  not  altogether  unmind- 
ful of  her  new  territory  of  Louisiana.  During  the  period  prior  to  1712, 
two  thousand  five  hundred  settlers  came  to  Louisiana  by  way  of  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico.  In  1712,  only  four  hundred  whites  and  twenty  negro 
slaves  were  to  be  found  in  Louisiana.  The  yellow  fever  raged  at  Biloxi 
in  1708  and  only  fourteen  officers,  seventy-six  soldiers,  and  thirteen 
sailors  were  spared.  By  1712  the  colony  was  on  its  feet  again  and 
very  flattering  reports  went  to  France  about  Louisiana  and  especially 
of  the  Illinois  country. 

GRANTS  OF  LAND 

The  English  colonists  who  came  to  the  Atlantic  coast  in  the  early 
part  of  the  seventeenth  century  were  not  the  only  colonists  who  spent 
their  time  and  energy  in  looking  for  precious  stones  and  precious 
metals.  The  French  traders  and  explorers  were  continually  dreaming 
of  gold,  silver,  and  other  precious  products  of  the  earth.  It  was  gen- 
erally believed  in  France  that  the  interior  of  the  New  World  was  rich 
in  mineral  wealth. 

The  wars  which  the  king  was  forced  to  carry  on  had  deprived  him, 
so  he  thought,  of  the  opportunity  to  open  these  rich  mines  and  thus 
replenish  a  depleted  treasury.  He  therefore  concluded  that  rather 
than  delay  in  the  matter  he  would  better  grant  the  monopoly  of  the 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  53 

trade  and  commerce  in  the  Louisiana  region  to  some  one  who  could 
and  would  develop  its  wonderful  wealth.  In  looking  around  for  some 
one  in  whom  he  could  repose  such  a  great  undertaking,  he  settled  on 
one  Anthony  Crozat,  a  very  rich  merchant  of  Paris,  and  a  man  who 
had  on  former  occasions  rendered  great  service  to  the  king  and  to  the 
kingdom.  The  king  therefore  issued  a  proclamation  creating  letters 
patent  and  granting  to  the  said  Crozat  the  following  monopoly  for  a 
period  of  fifteen  years.  (Abridged) : 

And,  whereas,  upon  the  information  we  have  received,  concerning 
the  disposition  and  situation  of  the  said  countries,  known  at  present, 
by  the  name  of  Louisiana,  we  are  of  the  opinion  that  there  may  be 
established  therein  a  considerable  commerce,  so  much  the  more  advan- 
tageous to  our  kingdom,  in  that  there  has  hitherto  been  a  necessity  of 
fetching  from  foreigners  the  greatest  part  of  the  commodities  which 
may  be  brought  from  thence ;  and  because,  in  exchange  thereof,  we 
need  carry  thither  nothing  but  commodities  of  the  growth  and  manu- 
facture of  our  own  kingdom;  .  .  . 

We  have  resolved  to  grant  the  commerce  of  the  country  of  Louisiana, 
to  the  Sieur  Anthony  Crozat,  our  councillor,  secretary  of  the  house- 
hold, crown  and  revenue,  to  whom  we  intrust  the  execution  of  this 
project. 

We  permit  him  to  search  for,  open,  and  dig  all  sorts  of  mines,  veins, 
and  minerals,  throughout  the  whole  extent  of  the  said  country  of 
Louisiana,  and  to  transport  the  profits  thereof  to  any  port  of  Prance, 
during  the  said  fifteen  years,  .  .  . 

We  likewise  permit  him  to  search  for  precious  stones  and  pearls, 
paying  us  the  fifth  part  in  the  same  manner  as  is  mentioned  for  gold 
and  silver. 

Our  edicts,  ordinances,  and  customs,  and  the  usages  of  the  mayoralty 
and  shrievalty  of  Paris,  shall  be  observed  for  laws  and  customs  in  the 
said  country  of  Louisiana. 

This  grant  to  Crozat  empowered  him  to  open  mines  of  gold,  silver, 
etc.,  to  search  for  stones  and  pearls,  to  discover  new  lands,  to  control 
the  commerce,  trade,  etc.,  and  to  retain  this  privilege  for  fifteen  years. 
Crozat  was  to  pay  to  the  king  one-fifth  part  of  all  gold,  silver,  precious 
stones,  etc.  The  territory  was  understood  to  be  the  region  drained  by 
the  Mississippi  river  and  its  tributaries.  It  is  said  that  Crozat  was 
authorized  to  bring  slaves  to  the  Louisiana  territory.  Antoine  Cadillac 
who  had,  in  the  year  1701,  founded  Detroit,  was  made  governor  of 
Louisiana  and  was  given  a  share  in  the  profits  of  Crozat 's  grant.  They 
were  very  deeply  interested  in  the  commerce  as  well  as  in  the  mineral 
wealth  of  the  Louisiana  country.  Two  pieces  of  silver  ore  from  Mexico 
were  shown  the  governor  at  Kaskaskia  and  he  was  wild  with  joy  and 
excitement  at  the  prospect  of  mines  of  untold  wealth.  He  visited  the 
regions  around  the  lakes  and  made  discoveries  of  lead  and  copper  but 
no  silver  or  gold  was  found.  This  grant  to  Crozat  seems  to  nave  had 
the  effect  of  killing  the  interest  in  trade  and  commerce  in  the  Louisiana 
country.  There  seems  to  have  been  quite  a  deal  of  jealousy  among  the 
French  traders  toward  Crozat.  They  grew  tired  of  his  monopoly,  the 
English  and  Spanish  did  everything  they  could  to  cripple  his  interests, 
"and  every  Frenchman  in  Louisiana  was  not  only  hostile  to  his  in- 
terests, but  was  aiding  and  assisting  to  foment  difficulties  in  the  colony. ' ' 
Crozat  in  five  years  spent  425,000  livres  and  received  in  return  in 


54  HISTOKY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

trade  300,000  livres,  a  loss  of  125,000  livres  in  five  years.    He  resigned 
his  grant  to  the  crown  in  1717. 

It  so  happened  that  at  the  time  Crozat  surrendered  his  grant  to  the 
crown,  that  there  was  being  formed  in  France  a  company  which  is 
known  by  several  names,  but  usually  called  the  Western  Company. 
John  Law,  the  great  Scotch  financier,  was  at  the  head  of  this  company. 
Its  purpose  was  to  re-enforce  the  finances  of  France.  It  was  expected 
that  large  plantations  would  be  begun  in  Louisiana,  mines  opened,  and 
extensive  trade  carried  on  in  furs  and  farm  products,  and  large  returns 
were  expected  to  come  from  all  this.  Emigrants  poured  into  the  Louis- 
iana country.  Over  800  arrived  in  August,  1717.  Law  sent  300  slaves 
to  the  territory,  and  French  and  German  emigrants  were  freely  trans- 
ported to  the  Mississippi  valley.  Following  Cadillac,  came  Governor 
1'Epinay,  who  served  only  a  short  time.  Bienville,  who  was  formerly 
connected  with  the  province,  was  then  made  governor.  He  founded 
New  Orleans  in  1718.  In  that  same  year,  December,  there  arrived  at 
Kaskaskia  a  Lieutenant  Boisbriant  with  about  a  hundred  soldiers,  with 
orders  to  assume  military  command  of  the  Illinois  district  in  the 
Province  of  Louisiana. 

Boisbriant  came  as  the  king's  military  representative  with  authority 
to  hold  the  country  and  defend  the  king's  subjects.  He  was  also  au- 
thorized to  build  a  fort.  The  place  selected  for  the  fort  was  a  point 
about  sixteen  miles  to  the  northwest  of  Kaskaskia,  on  the  alluvial  bot- 
toms of  the  Mississippi  river.  The  structure  was  of  wood  and  was 
probably  made  of  two  rows  of  vertical  logs  filled  between  with  earth. 
It  was  named  Fort  de  Chartres,  presumably  after  the  king's  son,  whose 
title  was  Due  de  Chartres.  Inside  the  palisaded  .walls  were  the  officers ' 
quarters  and  a  storehouse  for  the  company's  goods.  It  is  said  that  an 
old  fort  built  by  Crozat  stood  near  by.  Fort  Chartres,  as  constructed 
by  Boisbriant,  stood  for  thirty  years  and  was  the  center  of  great  mili- 
tary, civil,  and  social  life.  We  shall  have  occasion  to  refer  to  Fort 
Chartres  again. 

The  fort  was  barely  done  when  there  arrived  Phillipe  Francois  de 
Renault,  a  representative  of  the  Company  of  the  West,  in  fact  he  was 
director  general  of  the  mining  operations  of  the  company.  He  had  left 
France  the  year  before,  in  the  spring  of  1719,  with  200  miners,  laborers, 
and  a  full  complement  of  mining  utensils.  On  his  way  to  the  Province 
of  Louisiana  he  bought  in  St.  Domingo,  500  Guinea  negroes  to  work 
the  mines  and  plantations  of  the  province.  These  were  not  all  brought 
to  the  Illinois  district,  but  a  large  number  was,  and  this  is  the  origin  of 
slavery  in  the  state  of  Illinois.  In  1719,  also,  500  Guinea  negroes  were 
brought>  to  the  region  of  New  Orleans  and  Natchez.  Thus  by  1722, 
1,000  negro  slaves  were  in  the  Mississippi  valley. 

Renault  made  Fort  Chartres  his  headquarters  for  a  short  time,  and 
from  here  he  sent  his  expert  miners  and  skilled  workmen  in  every  direc- 
,  tion  hunting  for  the  precious  metals.  The  bluffs  skirting  the  American 
Bottoms  on  the  east  were  diligently  searched  for  minerals,  but  nothing 
encouraging  was  found.  In  what  is  now  Jackson,  Randolph,  and  St. 
Clair  counties  the  ancient  traces  of  furnaces  were  visible  as  late  as 
1850.  Silver  creek,  which  runs  south  and  through  Madison  and  St. 
Clair  counties,  was  so  named  on  the  supposition  that  the  metal  was 
plentiful  along  that  stream. 

Failing  to  discover  any  metals  or  precious  stones,  Renault  turned 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  55 

his  attention  to  the  cultivation  of  the  land  in  order  to  support  his 
miners. 

May  10,  1722,  the  military  commandant,  Lieutenant  Boisbriant, 
representing  the  king,  and  Des  Ursins  representing  the  Royal  Indes 
Company  (the  Company  of  the  West),  granted  to  Charles  Davie  a 
tract  of  land  5  arpents  wide  (58.35  rods)  and  reaching  from  the  Kas- 
kaskia  on  the  east  to  the  Mississippi  on  the  west.  This  is  said  to  have 
been  the  first  grant  of  land  made  in  the  Illinois  district  in  Louisiana. 

The  next  year,  June  14,  the  same  officials  made  a  grant  to  Renault 
of  a  tract  of  land  abutting  or  facing  on  the  Mississippi,  more  than  three 
miles  wide  and  extending  backward  northeast  into  the  country  six 
miles.  This  tract  contained  more  than  13,000  acres  of  land.  It  reached 
back  to  the  bluffs,  probably  four  to  five  miles.  It  is  said  the  grant  was 
made  in  consideration  of  the  labor  of  Renault's  slaves,  probably  upon 
some  work  belonging  to  the  Company  of  the  West.  This  grant  was  up 
the  Mississippi  three  and  a  half  miles  above  Fort  Chartres.  The  vil- 
lage of  St.  Phillipe  was  probably  started  before  the  grant  was  made,  at 
least  the  village  was  on  the  grant. 

OTHER  SETTLEMENTS 

As  soon  as  Fort  Chartres  was  complete  there  grew  up  a  village  near 
by,  which  usually  went  by  the  name  of  New  Chartres.  About  the  year 
1722  the  village  -of  Prairie  du  Rocher  was  begun.  It  was  located  near 
the  bluffs  due  east  from  Fort  Chartres  about  three  and  a  half  miles. 
It  is  said  that  some  of  the  houses  were  built  of  stone,  there  being  an 
abundance  of  that  material  in  the  bluffs  just  back  of  the  village.  To 
this  village  there  was  granted  a  very  large  "common"  which  it  holds 
to  this  day.  The  common  is  about  three  miles  square  and  lies  back  of 
the  village  upon  the  upland. 

There  were,  probably,  as  early  as  1725,  five  permanent  French  vil- 
lages in  the  American  Bottom,  namely:  Cahokia,  settled  not  earlier 
than  1698,  and  not  later  than  1700 ;  Kaskaskia,  settled  in  the  latter  part 
of  the  year  1700,  or  in  the  beginning  of  the  year  1701 ;  New  Chartres, 
the  village  about  Fort  Chartres,  commenced  about  the  same  time  the 
fort  was  erected,  1720;  Prairie  du  Rocher,  settled  about  1722,  or  pos- 
sibly as  late  as  the  grant  to  Boisbriant,  which  was  in  1733 ;  St.  Phillipe, 
settled  very  soon  after  Renault  received  the  grant  from  the  Western 
Company,  which  was  1723. 

The  villages  were  all  much  alike.  They  were  a  straggling  lot  of 
crude  cabins,  built  with  little  if  any  reference  to  streets,  and  con- 
structed with  no  pretension  to  architectural  beauty.  The  inhabitants 
were  French,  and  Indians,  and  negroes. 

The  industrial  life  of  these  people  consisted  of  fishing  and  hunting, 
cultivation  of  the  soil,  commercial  transactions,  some  manufacturing, 
and  mining.  The  fishing  and  hunting  was  partly  a  pastime,  but  the 
table  was  often  liberally  supplied  from  this  source.  The  soil  was  fer- 
tile and  yielded  abundantly  to  a  very  indifferent  cultivation.  Wheat 
was  grown  and  the  grain  ground  in  crude  water  mills  usually  situated 
at  the  mouths  of  the  streams  as  they  emerged  from  the  bluffs.  And  it 
is  said  one  windmill  was  erected  in  the  bottom.  They  had  swine  and 
black  cattle,  says  Father  Charlevoix,  in  1721.  The  Indians  raised 
poultry,  spun  the  wool  of  the  buffalo  and  wove  a  cloth  which  they  dyed 
black,  yellow,  or  red. 


50 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


In  the  first  thirty  or  forty  years  of  the  eighteenth  century,  there 
was  considerable  commerce  carried  on  between  these  villages  and  the 
mouth  of  the  river.  New  Orleans  was  established  in  1818  and  came  to 
be,  in  a  very  early  day,  an  important  shipping  point.  The  gristmills 
ground  the  wheat  which  the  farmers  raised  in  the  bottom  and  the  flour 


MAP  OF  AMERICAN  BOTTOM,  SHOWING  OLD  FRENCH  VILLAGES 

was  shipped  in  keel  boats  and  flatboats.  Fifteen  thousand  deer  skins 
were  sent  in  one  year  to  New  Orleans.  Buffalo  meat  and  other  products 
of  the  forest,  as  well  as  the  produce  of  the  farms,  made  up  the  cargoes. 
Considerable  lead  was  early  shipped  to  the  mother  country. 

The  return  vessels  brought  the  colonists  rice,  sugar,  coffee,   manu- 
factured articles  of  all  kinds,  tools,  implements,  and  munitions  of  war. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  57 

The  boatmen  suffered  great  hardships  in  bringing  their  cargoes 
from  New  Orleans  up  the  Mississippi  river.  These  brave  men  were 
obliged  to  endure  all  kinds  of  weather.  They  were  subject  to  the  fevers 
incident  to  a  life  on  the  water  in  a  hot  climate.  The  treacherous  Indians 
lined  the  banks,  and  life  on  the  boats  was  never  safe.  They  had  often 
to  pull  their  boats  up  the  strong  current  by  means  of  long  ropes.  But 
with  all  this  the  boatmen  were  the  happiest  of  all  the  people. 

The  social  life  of  these  people  was  one  of  pleasure.  It  is  said  they 
passed  much  of  their  time  in  singing,  dancing,  and  gaming.  The 
Frenchmen  married  the  squaws  of  the  different  tribes  and  this  of 
necessity  lowered  the  tone  of  the  social  life.  The  population  became 
mixed,  and  consequently  degenerated.  There  can  be  little  doubt  that 
there  were  many  illegitimate  children  born.  The  parish  records  might' 
lead  one  to  suppose  this  for  they  are  not  uniform  in  their  statement 
that  all  children  are  born  of  legitimate  marriages.  The  following  is 
from  the  parish  records  of  the  St.  Anne  church: 

In  the  year  1743,  on  the  28th  of  December  of  the  same  year,  I,  the 
undersigned,  N.  Laurent,  priest,  missionary  apostolic,  I  baptized  in  the 
absence  of  M.  J.  Gagnon,  missionary  of  St.  Anne's  parish  of  Fort 
Chartres,  a  daughter,  born  in  the  same  month  and  day  mentioned  above, 
of  the  legitimate  marriage  of  Andrew  Thomas  des  Jardius  and  of 
Marie  Joseph  Larette.  .  .  . 

LAURENT,  P.  M.  Ap. 

The  common  people  were  modest  in  their  apparel.  They  wore  the 
cheaper  fabrics.  In  summer  coarse  cotton  cloth,  while  in  winter  coarse 
woolen  blankets  were  much  prized.  Handkerchiefs  were  worn  over  the 
heads  by  men  and  women. 

While  they  were  light  hearted  they  were  light  headed  as  well,  and 
thriftless;  the  poorer  portion  laboring  long  enough  to  gain  a  bare  sub- 
sistence each  passing  day,  the  rest  of  the  time  being  spent  in  sporting, 
hunting,  and  wine  drinking. 

There  was  entire  harmony  with  regard  to  religious  matters.  Every 
one  was  a  member  of  the  church.  The  Indians  in  most  cases  were  re- 
garded as  members.  There  were  churches  in  all  the  villages  except  pos- 
sibly in  St.  Phillipe.  The  daily  requirements  of  the  church  have  been 
pointed  out  in  the  preceding  pages. 

Schools  were  unknown — at  least  the  kind  of  schools  we  are  familiar 
with.  The  priests  may  have  given  some  instruction  in  the  rudiments 
of  an  education.  Certainly  something  was  done  in  the  line  of  instruc- 
tion for  it  is  stated  that  a  college  was  founded  in  Kaska.skia  as  early  as 
1721,  and  in  connection  a  monastery  was  erected. 

The  government  was  very  simple,  at  least  until  about  1730.  From 
the  settlement  in  1700  up  to  the  coming  of  Crozat  there  was  no  civil  gov- 
ernment. Controversies  were  few  and  the  priest's  influence  was  such 
that  all  disputes  which  arose  were  settled  by  that  personage.  Recently, 
documents  have  been  recovered  from  the  courthouse  in  Chester  which 
throw  considerable  light  upon  the  question  of  government  in  the  French 
villages,  but  as  yet  they  have  not  been  thoroughly  sorted  and  inter- 
preted. 

The  Company  of  the  West  realized  that  its  task  of  developing  the 
territory  of  Louisiana  was  an  unprofitable  one,  and  they  surrendered 
their  charter  to  the  king,  and  Louisiana  became,  as  we  are  accustomed 
to  say,  a  royal  province  by  proclamation  of  the  king,  April  10,  1732. 


58  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

The  two  efforts,  the  one  by  Crozat  and  the  other  by  the  Company  of 
the  West  had  both  resulted  in  failure  so  far  as  profit  to  either  was  con- 
cerned. Crozat  had  spent  425,000  livres  and  realized  in  return  only 
300,000  livres.  And  although  a  rich  man,  the  venture  ruined  him  finan- 
cially. The  Company  of  the  West  put  thousands  of  dollars  into  the  at- 
tempt to  develop  the  territory  for  which  no  money  in  return  was  ever 
received.  But  the  efforts  of  both  were  a  lasting  good  to  the  territory 
itself.  Possibly  the  knowledge  of  the  geography  of  the  country  which 
resulted  from  the  explorations  in  search  of  precious  metals,  was  not  the 
least  valuable.  Among  other  things,  these  two  efforts  brought  an  ad- 
venturous class  of  people  into  Illinois  and  this  put  life  into  the  sleepy 
ongoing  of  priest  and  parishioner. 

WAR  AND  PROGRESS 

The  life  of  the  people  in  the  new  village  of  Kaskaskia  is  somewhat 
difficult  to  reconstruct  in  our  minds  since  few  records  are  available 
which  give  very  definite  accounts  of  it.  However,  we  may  safely  con- 
jecture that  the  village  of  Kaskaskia  became  the  leading  town  between 
the  lakes  and  the  gulf.  Fort  St.  Louis  was  abandoned  almost  entirely 
by  the  beginning  of  1700.  Peoria  was  never  occupied  permanently  by 
whites.  Cahokia  was  possibly  a  rival  of  Kaskaskia,  but  never  equaled 
it  in  importance  or  in  size.  The  settlers  at  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi, 
and  the  people  of  New  France  were  constantly  passing  and  repassing 
the  village  of  Kaskaskia.  It  was  a  sort  of  meeting  point  between  the 
north  and  the  south. 

There  can  be  little  doubt  that  permanent  houses  were  built  of  tim- 
ber, brush,  and  grasses.  The  Frenchmen  were  traders,  trappers,  and 
voyageurs.  They  married  the  Indian  women  and  there  rapidly  grew  up 
a  half-breed  race  which  probably  was  more  French  than  Indian,  at  least 
as  to  custom,  disposition,  and  general  appearance.  There  was  really  no 
civil  government.  All  differences,  if  there  were  any,  were  settled  by  the 
priest  in  charge.  The  government  of  New  France  exercised  no  authority 
in  Kaskaskia. 

The  Kaskaskia  tribe  of  Indians  was  never  large  and  the  presence  of 
priests,  traders,  and  travelers  gave  the  village  quite  an  air  of  civiliza- 
tion. The  activities  were  simple — hunting,  fishing,  and  trafficking.  The 
two  rivers  and  their  tributaries  thereto  furnished  an  abundance  of  op- 
portunity for  food.  Probably  no  commercial  value  attached  to  the  occu- 
pation of  fishing ;  each  person  providing  his  own  table  with  this  sort  of 
food.  Hunting  and  trapping  became  a  profitable  business,  and  regular 
markets  were  opened  where  furs  were  sold  for  cash  or  exchanged  for 
European  goods  which  now  began  to  find  their  way  into  the  Illinois 
country.  As  soon  as  the  French  established  themselves  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Mississippi,  the  intercourse  with  the  mother  country  was  largely 
by  way  of  the  south  and  through  these  new  settlements,  rather  than 
through  Canada.  However,  it  must  be  remembered  that  coincident  with 
the  first  decade  of  the  life  of  the  Kaskaskia  colony,  there  was  raging  in 
western  Europe  a  war  of  considerable  import — the  war  of  the  ' '  Spanish 
Succession,"  or  more  popularly  "Queen  Anne's  war." 

This  war  in  no  way  directly  affected  our  French  settlements  on  the 
Mississippi,  but  it  prevented  France^from  giving  attention  to  her  new 
settlements  and  they  drifted  along  for  ten  or  more  years.  It  is  true  that 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


59 


colonists  were  sent  to  the  Mississippi  valley  from  France  by  the  ship- 
load, as  many  as  2,500  being  sent  between  the  settling  of  Biloxi  and  the 
close  of  Anne's  war  in  1713.  But  the  character  of  the  immigrants  and 
the  lack  of  paternal  oversight  may  be  seen  in  the  fact  that  out  of  the 
2,500  colonists  only  400  whites  and  twenty  negroes  were  to  be  found  in 
1813.  The  settlers  about  Kaskaskia  were  evidently  more  thrifty,  and 
were  free  from  some  of  the  forces  which  operated  to  decimate  the  num- 
bers at  Biloxi  and  nearby  settlements.  The  situation  at  Kaskaskia  was 
evidently  more  healthful  than  that  at  Biloxi;  the  character  of  the  set- 
tlers more  hardy,  and  the  Kaskaskia  settlers  more  industrious,  having 
begun  early  the  cultivation  of  the  soil.  There  are  no  means  of  determin- 
ing the  white  population  in  Kaskaskia  prior  to  the  end  of  Queen  Anne's 
war;  but  it  may  be  conjectured  that  the  number  of  whites  was  very 
small. 

GOVERNMENT,  CIVIL  AND  RELIGIOUS 

In  the  grant  to  Crozat  in  1712,  it  was  declared —  "and  further,  that 
all  lands  which  we  possess  from  the  Illinois,  be  united,  so  far  as  occasion 


A  WINTER  VIEW  OF  PRAIRIE  DU  ROCHER 

requires,  to  the  General  Government  of  New  France  and  become  a  part 
thereof."  There  certainly  was  no  civil  government  in  the  Illinois  coun- 
try during  the  five  years  from  1712  to  1717.  In  1718  Boisbriant  landed 
at  Mobile  with  a  commission  making  Bienville  governor-general  over  the 
Louisiana  territory  and  making  himself,  Boisbriant,  commandant  of  the 
Illinois  country.  The  growth  of  the  territory  was  rapid  from  this  time 
forward,  and  there  was  need  of  better  methods  of  civil  administration. 
In  1721  the  whole  of  the  Mississippi  valley  was  divided  into  nine  civil 
jurisdictions,  as  follows:  New  Orleans,  Biloxi,  Mobile,  Alabama, 
Natchez,  Yazoo,  Natchitoches,  Arkansas,  and  Illinois.  "There  shall  be 
at  the  headquarters  in  each  district  a  commandant  and  a  judge,  from 
whose  decisions  appeals  may  be  had  to  the  superior  council  established 
at  New  Biloxi."  Breese's  History  of  Illinois  gives  a  copy  of  an  appeal 
of  the  inhabitants  of  Kaskaskia  to  the  Provincial  commandant  and  judge 
relative  to  the  grants  of  lands  to  individuals  and  to  the  inhabitants  as  a 
whole.  It  has  four  distinct  sections.  The  heading  is  as  follows: 


60  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

"THE  INHABITANTS  OF  KASKASKIA  TO  THE  PROVINCIAL  COMMANDANT  AND 
JUDGE  OP  THE  COUNTRY  OP  ILLINOIS." 

This  petition  was  duly  considered  and  a  notation  made  upon  each 
section,  signed  by  De  Lielte,  who  was  commandant,  and  by  Chaffin,  who 
was  judge,  and  the  whole  forwarded  to  the  Superior  Council  for  final, 
action.  It  bears  date  1727. 

The  religious  life  of  Kaskaskia,  Cahokia,  and  other  French  villages 
was  quite  free  from  outside  influence.  By  the  third  article  of  the  ordi- 
nance issued  by  Louis  XV  in  1724,  all  religious  beliefs  other  than  the 
Catholic  faith  were  forbidden.  The  article  reads  as  follows :  ' '  We  pro- 
hibit any  other  religious  rites  than  those  of  the  Apostolic  Roman  Catho- 
lic church;  requiring  that  those  who  violate  this  shall  be  punished  as 
rebels,  disobedient  to  our  commands."  This  ordinance  also  made  it  an 
offense  to  set  over  any  slaves  any  overseers  who  should  in  any  way  pre- 
vent the  slaves  from  professing  the  Roman  Catholic  religion. 

By  an  earlier  ordinance,  issued  in  1722,  by  the  council  for  the  com- 
pany, and  with  the  consent  of  the  bishop  of  Quebec,  the  province  of 
Louisiana  was  divided  into  three  spiritual  jurisdictions.  The  first 
comprised  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi  from  the  gulf  to  the  mouth  of 
the  Ohio,  and  including  the  region  to  the  west.  The  Capuchins  were  to 
officiate  in  the  churches,  and  their  superior  was  to  reside  in  New  Or- 
leans. The  second  spiritual  district  comprised  all  the  territory  north  of 
the  Ohio,  and  was  assigned  to  the  charge  of  the  Jesuits  whose  superior 
should  reside  in  the  Illinois,  presumably  at  Kaskaskia.  The  third  dis- 
trict lay  south  of  the  Ohio  and  east  of  the  Mississippi  river  and  was  as- 
signed to  the  Carmelites,  the  residence  of  the  superior  being  at  Mobile. 
Each  of  the  three  superiors  was  to  be  a  grand  vicar  of  the  bishop  of 
Quebec.  The  Carmelites  remained  in  charge  of  their  territory  south  of 
the  Ohio  only  till  the  following  fall,  December,  1722,  when  they  turned 
over  their  work  to  the  Capuchins  and  returned  to  France. 

As  evidence  of  the  activity  of  the  Jesuits  in  the  territory  which  was 
assigned  them,  we  are  told  they  had  already,  in  1721,  established  a 
monastery  in  Kaskaskia.  It  is  stated  in  Monette's  Mississippi  Valley, 
that  a  college  was  also  established  there  about  the  year  1721.  Charle- 
voix,  quoted  by  Davidson  and  Stuve,  says:  "I  passed  the  night  with 
the  missionaries  (at  Cahokia),  who  are  two  ecclesiastics  from  the  sem- 
inary at  Quebec,  formerly  my  disciples,  but  they  must  now  be  my  mas- 
ters. .  .  Yesterday  I  arrived  at  Kaskaskia  about  nine  o'clock.  The 
Jesuits  have  a  very  flourishing  mission,  which  has  lately  been  divided 
into  two."  All  descriptions  which  have  come  down  to  us  of  the  condi- 
tions in  the  Illinois  country  in  the  first  part  of  the  eighteenth  century 
represent  the  church  as  most  aggressive  and  prosperous.  Civil  govern- 
ment certainly  must  have  passed  into  "innocuous  desuetude"  by  1732. 
In  1720  a  financial  panic  struck  France  and  John  Law  was  forced  to 
flee  from  the  country.  The  Company  of  the  Indies  kept  up  a  pretense 
of  carrying  on  its  business,  but  in  1732  upon  petition  by  the  company, 
the  king  issued  a  proclamation  declaring  the  company  dissolved  and 
Louisiana  to  be  free  to  all  subjects  of  the  king.  There  were  at  this  time, 
1732  about  7,000  whites  and  2,000  negro  slaves  within  the  limits  of  the 
Louisiana  territory.  The  rules  of  the  Western  Company  had  been  so 
exacting  that  many  of  the  activities  of  the  people  had  been  repressed. 
Every  one  seems  to  have  been  held  in  a  sort  of  vassalage  to  the  company. 
Now  the  territory  was  to  come  directly  under  the  crown. 


CHAPTER  VI 
LOUISIANA  AND  ILLINOIS  (1732-1777) 

ILLINOIS  PRIOR  TO  THE  FRENCH  AND  INDIAN  WAR — THE  STRUGGLE  FOR 
THE  OHIO  VALLEY — OLD  FORT  CHARTRES — THE  COMING  OP  THE 
BRITISH — ILLINOIS  UNDER  BRITISH  RULE. 

By  the  proclamation  of  the  king  of  France  in  1732,  Louisiana  be- 
came a  royal  province,  and  was  attached  temporarily  to  New  France 
for  purposes  of  government.  For  thirty-two  years  France  had  been 
pouring  men  and  money  into  the  Mississippi  valley;  Crozat  had  spent 
a  fortune.  The  Western  Company  had  sent  thousands  of  people  into 
the  territory  and  had  spent  money  lavishly  for  supplies,  soldiers,  forts, 
transportation,  and  explorations.  The  government  took  up  the  work 
with  some  degree  of  spirit  and  began  by  separating  the  Louisiana 
province  from  New  France,  in  governmental  matters.  The  officers  for 
Louisiana  were  a  governor,  an  intendant,  and  a  royal  council.  The 
governor  was  to  appoint  the  commandant  for  the  Illinois.  At  the 
time  of  this  change  in  the  government  from  that  of  the  Western  Com- 
pany to  that  of  royal  oversight,  St.  Ange  de  Belle  Rive  was  command- 
ant in  the  Illinois.  He  was  followed  by  Pierre  D'Artaguette,  who 
seems  to  have  assumed  command  in  1834,  probably  in  the  very  early 
part  of  that  year. 

The  settlements  at  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  river  and  those 
in  the  Illinois  country  were  separated  from  each  other  by  hundreds 
of  miles  of  territory  whose  only  occupants  were  Indians.  Kaskaskia 
was  the  farthest  south  of  any  of  the  settlements  in  Illinois,  and  Natchez 
was  the  farthest  north  of  any  of  the  settlements  about  the  mouth  of 
the  Mississippi.  From  Natchez  south  down  the  river,  settlements  were 
scattering.  The  Natchez  and  the  Chickasaw  Indians  occupied  nearly 
all  the  territory  adjacent  to  the  Mississippi  river,  on  the  east,  and 
south  of  the  Ohio  river.  These  Indians  had  been  more  or  less  trouble- 
some to  the  commerce  passing  up  and  down  the  river.  In  1729  a  con- 
spiracy was  hatched  by  these  Indians,  and  the  Natchez  fell  upon  the 
settlers  at  the  town  of  Natchez  (Fort  Rosalie)  and  massacred  the  en- 
tire population.  A  vigorous  campaign  drove  this  tribe  west  of  the 
Mississippi,  where  they  were  captured  and  sold  as  slaves  in  the  West 
Indies. 

After  this  summary  disposal  of  the  Natchez  Indians,  the  Chicka- 
saws  became  troublesome.  The  governor  at  New  Orleans,  felt  it  his 
duty  to  discipline  them.  He  called  on  D'Artaguette,  commandant  at 
Kaskaskia,  and  upon  Francois  Morgan  de  Vincenne,  commandant  at 
the  Post  Vincennes,  for  soldiers.  Each  furnished  soldiers  and  some 

61 


62  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

Indians,  and  the  combined  force  moved  southward  from  the  mouth  of 
the  Ohio.  The  force  from  the  south  under  Bienville,  and  the  one  from 
the  north  under  D 'Artaguette,  were  not  timed  so  as  to  arrive  at  the 
Indian  stronghold  at  the  same  time.  D' Artaguette  reached  the  scene 
of  conflict  first  and  in  an  unsuccessful  assault  many  of  his  men  were 
killed,  and  he  and  Vincenne  and  Father  Senat  fell  into  the  hands  of 
the  Chickasaws,  who,  despairing  of  a  large  ransom  from  Bienville, 
took  their  distinguished  prisoners  out  into  an  open  field  and  there 
tortured  them  to  death  by  a  slow  fire.  Thus  Illinois  lost  a  brilliant 
leader  and  a  score  or  more  of  valuable  citizens.  Not  only  so,  but  it 
took  four  years  more  of  warfare  to  subdue  the  warlike  Chickasaws. 
After  1739  there  was  comparative  freedom  in  the  navigation  of  the 
Mississippi  river.  The  French  and  Indians  north  of  the  Ohio  were  on 
very  good  terms  and  the  French  settlements  were  growing  rapidly. 
New  settlements  sprang  up  here  and  there  on  the  Illinois  and  on  the 
Wabash.  Many  of  these  settlements  were  not  permanent,  being  en- 
gaged in  the  fur  trade. 

In  1744  war  broke  out  between  France  and  England  and  there  was 
more  or  less  friction  between  the  French  colonists  in  Canada  and  the 
English  settlers  in  New  York,  and  the  New  England  colonists.  This 
is  called  in  this  country,  King  George's  war.  The  quiet  on-going  of 
affairs  in  the  Louisiana  territory  was  not  disturbed  by  this  conflict. 
The  French  and  Indians  west  of  the  Alleghanies  were  on  very  good 
terms  following  the  Natchez  and  Chickasaw  war.  Agriculture  flour- 
ished, and  commerce  on  the  Mississippi  was  free  from  any  restraints. 
Capital  began  to  seek  investments  and  population  rapidly  increased. 
"Illinois  sent  regular  cargoes  of  flour,  bacon,  pork,  hides,  leather, 
tallow,  bear's  oil,  and  lumber"  to  the  markets  of  the  world.  The 
method  of  transportation  was  in  keel  boats  and  barges.  The  keel  boats 
and  barges  returned  up  the  river  from  New  Orleans  with  consign- 
ments of  rice,  tobacco,  indigo,  sugar,  cotton  fabrics,  and  all  kinds  of 
European  goods.  The  entire  Louisiana  country  including  the  Illinois 
and  the  Wabash  settlements  was  quite  self-sustaining. 

But  while  these  settlements  were  free  from  the  war,  called  King 
George's  war,  there  were  other  drawbacks.  In  the  fall  of  1745,  severe 
storms  and  inundations  swept  over  the  plantations  of  the  lower  Louis- 
iana, destroying  a  large  proportion  of  the  crops.  The  rice  crop  was 
almost  a  total  loss.  Rice  was  used  largely  as  a  substitute  for  bread  by 
the  people  of  the  lower  Louisiana,  and  its  loss  would  be  greatly  felt 
unless  some  other  article  could  be  substituted.  The  loss  to  the  people 
about  New  Orleans  was  gain  to  the  Illinois  people  for  it  made  a  mar- 
ket for  their  surplus  wheat  and  flour.  Monette,  in  Vol  I,  page  316, 
says  as  many  as  four  thousand  sacks  of  flour  of  100  pounds  each  were 
shipped  to  New  Orleans  in  the  years  1745  and  1746.  Reynolds  says 
in  his  Pioneer  History  that  the  flour  was  sacked  in  deerskins. 

From  the  coming  of  the  Company  of  the  West  in  1718,  to  the  French 
and  Indian  war,  there  was  great  growth  in  the  Illinois  country.  It 
should  be  pointed  out  that  what  people  then  called  "the  Illinois"  or 
the  "Illinois  Country,"  was  principally  the  territory  which  came  to 
be  known  as  the  American  Bottoms.  This  is  a  great  body  of  alluvial 
land  stretching  from  the  present  city  of  Alton  to  the  city  of  Chester, 
lying  between  the  Mississippi  river  and  the  "bluffs"  on  the  east.  The 
distance  from  Alton  to  Chester  is  about  seventy-five  miles  on  a  straight 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  63 

line,  but  probably  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  miles  by  the  river. 
The  width  of  this  alluvial  plain  is  about  six  to  eight  miles.  These  bot- 
toms are  a  rich  alluvial  deposit  and  are  fairly  well  drained.  In  some 
places,  however,  there  are  lakes  and  bayous  which  render  the  land 
useless.  Many  of  the  lakes  have  been  drained,  and  the  land  thus  re- 
deemed is  very  valuable.  It  was  in  these  rich  alluvial  bottoms  that  all 
the  early  French  villages  were  located.  The  French  had  a  system  of 
granting  their  public  lands  very  different  from  our  system  of  rectangu- 
lar surveys.  We  survey  our  lands  and  throw  them  into  townships, 
sections  and  quarter  sections,  a  rectangular  system.  Our  lands  are 
mapped  and  it  is  easy  to  locate  sections  or  smaller  units  than  the 
section. 

The  French  system  was  virtually  a  system  of  strips  abutting  on 
the  river  and  reaching  back  over  the  alluvial  grounds  to  the  "bluffs," 
and  even  beyond.  If  one  will  examine  the  county  maps  of  St.  Clair, 
Monroe,  and  Randolph,  he  will  find  these  grants  laid  down — the  grants 
abutting  on  the  river  and  extending  in  narrow  strips  back  to  the  bluffs. 
In  addition  to  these  grants  of  the  strips  to  individuals,  there  were 
grants  made  to  each  village  known  as  the  "Commons"  or  the  "Com- 
mon Lands."  This  was  a  grant  made  to  the  community  as  a  whole, 
and  was  used  as  common  pasture  lands  and,  when  timbered,  was  used 
as  the  source  of  fuel.  Such  grants  were  made  to  Cahokia,  Prairie  du 
Pont,  Prairie  du  Rocher,  Kaskaskia  and  probably  to  New  Chartres. 
These  "Commons"  or  "Common  Lands"  must  not  be  confused  with 
"Common  Fields."  The  commons  were  were  not  cultivated,  while  the 
"Common  Fields"  were  used  for  cultivation.  The  common  field  was 
laid  off  in  strips,  each  of  which,  was  assigned  to  a  particular  person 
for  cultivation  for  the  season;  next  season  it  was  assigned  to  a  differ- 
ent person.  The  whole  of  the  common  field  was  under  one  fence,  but 
there  were  no  partition  fences.  Wheat  and  corn  were  raised  in  large 
quantities,  and  there  were  mills  for  the  grinding  of  these  grains. 
Renault  is  said  to  have  put  up  a  water  mill  and  a  chapel  in  his  village 
of  St.  Phillipe.  The  mill  was  for  grinding  and  sawing.  There  were 
other  water  mills  along  the  bluffs  where  corn  and  wheat  were  ground. 
Horse  mills  also  were  common. 

Horses  and  cattle  were  introduced  very  early.  Reynolds  says  the 
cattle  came  from  Canada,  while  the  horses  were  of  the  Arabian  strain 
and  were  brought  to  the  southwest  by  the  Spaniards.  It  is  not  to  be 
understood  that  the  cultivation  of  the  soil  was  of  a  very  high  order. 
Utensils  were  crude.  The  plows  were  wooden  and  were  usually  drawn 
by  oxen.  The  oxen  were  fastened  together  by  the  horns  by  means  of  a 
flat  piece  of  wood,  and  not  yoked  as  was  customary  with  the  English 
settlers.  The  wagons  were  small  two-wheel  carts  made  by  the  farmers 
themselves,  usually  with  little  or  no  iron,  and  were  pulled  or  pushed 
by  hand,  seldom  by  horses  or  oxen. 

The  crops  were  cultivated  by  slave  labor  and  chiefly  by  hand.  The 
French  people  were  much  given  to  the  cultivation  of  small  fruits  and 
flowers.  Cherry,  apple,  peach,  and  plum  trees  grew  in  each  yard. 
Large  beds  of  flowers  were  cultivated,  and  wild  flowers  were  gathered 
in  abundance.  As  late  as  1825  when  La  Fayette  visited  Kaskaskia  the 
French  inhabitants  searched  the  woods  for  wild  flowers,  and  the  ban- 
quet hall  was  litterly  filled  with  them.  The  houses  were  mainly  built 
after  one  pattern.  The  "ground  plan"  was  marked  off  by  trenches  in 


64  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

which  upright  posts  were  set  side  by  side  in  palisade  style.  The  tops 
were  sawed  off  of  uniform  height.  On  top  of  these  posts  the  roof  was 
placed  constructed  of  simple  frame  work  thatched  with  wild  grasses, 
or  in  earlier  years  with  the  skins  of  animals,  and  in  later  years  covered 
with  boards.  The  spaces  were  filled  in  with  mud  and  grasses,  and  later 
with  mortar  made  from  lime  burned  in  the  bluffs  nearby.  In  later  years 
these  upright  posts  were  set  on  timbers  instead  of  being  set  in  the  ground, 
and  there  is  one  old  house  standing  in  old  Brownville  which  was  built 
that  way.  It  was  built  as  late  as  1830  or  1840. 

The  religious  life  of  this  people  was  a  simple  faith  in  the  priest 
and  in  his  teachings.  As  has  been  said  before  there  were  no  other 
faiths  than  that  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church.  There  were  no 
schools  in  the  sense  in  which  we  know  schools  today.  The  instruc- 
tion given  was  largely  through  the  work  of  the  priests.  It  is  probable 
that  many  of  those  who  were  sufficiently  educated  to  carry  on  busi- 
ness transactions  were  immigrants  from  Canada  or  from  France  di- 
rect. However,  the  college  which  is  said  to  have  flourished  from 
1721  to  1754  may  have  furnished  a  means  for  an  education  which 
met  the  demands  of  those  days.  It  is  certain  that  the  great  mass  of 
people  were  ignorant  though  kind  and  considerate. 

The  Illinois  country,  as  has  been  shown,  included  Vincennes  and 
other  settlements  on  the  Wabash.  Vincennes  is  said  to  have  been 
founded  as  early  as  1702  by  Francois  Morgan  de  Vincenne.  It  was 
the  fourth  in  the  line  of  forts  reaching  from  the  lakes  to  the  Mississippi 
by  way  of  the  Wabash.  The  first  of  these  forts  was  constructed  at 
Detroit  in  1701.  The  second  at  the  junction  of  the  St.  Joseph  with 
the  Miami  where  the  city  of  Fort  Wayne  is  today.  A  third  fort  was 
located  about  seven  miles  below  the  present  city  of  La  Fayette  and 
was  called  Ontanon.  The  fourth  was  located  where  the  present  city 
of  Vincennes  is.  This  fort  was  known  as  Fort  Sackville  and  the  town 
as  Post  Vincent.  A  fifth  was  built  on  the  Ohio  a  few  miles  below 
the  mouth  of  the  Tennessee  and  the  fort  came  to  be  called  Fort  Mas- 
sac.  This  last  fort  was  built  about  1711  or  1712.  However,  it  is 
claimed  that  the  building  of  the  fort  was  as  early  as  1702.  There  was 
probably  a  mission  post  there  as  early  as  1702  planted  by  Father 
Mermet,  and  was  known  as  the  Assumption.  By  glancing  at  the 
map  one  may  see  what  an  excellent  water  route  was  accessible  from 
the  lakes  to  the  Mississippi  by  way  of  the  Wabash.  Little  is  known 
of  Post  Vincennes  and  of  Fort  Massac  prior  to  the  French  and  In- 
dian war.  They  were  doubtless  visited  by  the  French  as  they  passed 
between  the  lakes  and  the  gulf  via  the  Wabash. 

THE  STRUGGLE  FOR  THE  OHIO  VALLEY 

King  George's  war  which  had  its  origin  in  European  political 
complications  closed  in  1748.  The  treaty  which  closed  the  war  pro- 
vided for  the  return  of  Louisburg  to  the  French,  and  all  other  pos- 
sessions of  England  and  France  in  America  to  remain  as  they  were 
prior  to  the  war.  It  could  easily  be  seen  that  the  next  struggle  be- 
tween the  French  and  the  English  would  be  for  the  permanent  con- 
trol of  the  Ohio  valley  and  the  adjacent  territory  east  of  the 
Mississippi  river.  The  English  had  never  relaxed  in  their  determina- 
tion to  possess  the  Ohio  valley.  In  1748  a  treaty  known  as  the  Treaty 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  65 

of  Lancaster  was  made  at  Lancaster,  Pennsylvania,  between  English 
commissioners  and  three  Indian  chiefs  representing  twelve  towns  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  Wabash.  The  purpose  of  the  treaty  was  to  at- 
tach the  Indians  north  of  the  Ohio  to  the  English  cause.  The  Ohio 
Land  Company  was  formed  in  1748.  It  contained  residents  of  Eng- 
land and  Virginia.  It  received  from  King  George  II  a  grant  of  a 
half  million  acres  of  land  on  and  about  the  Ohio  river.  They  were 
given  the  exclusive  right  of  trading  with  the  Indians  in  that  region. 

In  1749  the  governor  general  of  Canada  sent  Louis  Celeron,  a 
knight  of  the  Military  Order  of  St.  Louis,  to  plant  lead  plates  along 
the  valley  of  the  Ohio  which  might  eventually  prove  French  priority 
of  occupation  of  this  territory.  Several  of  the  plates  were  afterward 
unearthed.  In  1750  Celeron  wrote  a  letter  to  the  governor  of  Penn- 
sylvania warning  him  of  the  danger  to  his  people  who  might  tres- 
pass upon  the  French  possessions  along  the  Ohio.  In  1752  agents  of 
the  Ohio  Company  established  a  trading  post  within  a  few  miles 
of  the  present  site  of  Piqua,  Ohio.  In  the  same  year  the  French 
and  Indian  allies  destroyed  this  post,  killing  fourteen  Twightwees 
Indians,  who  were  under  a  treaty  with  the  English.  Logstown,  about 
18  miles  below  the  forks  of  the  Ohio,  was  settled  in  1748  by  the  Eng- 
lish and  in  1752  a  treaty  was  made  there  in  which  the  Indians  ceded 
certain  rights  and  privileges  to  the  English. 

The  French  began  in  1753  to  build  a  line  of  forts  from  the  lakes 
to  the  Mississippi  by  way  of  the  Ohio  and  its  tributaries  from  the 
north.  The  first  fort  was  located  at  Presque  Isle  (now  Erie,  Penn- 
sylvania) ;  the  second  one  was  Fort  Le  Boeuf  on  French  Creek,  a 
branch  of  the  Alleghany.  The  third  was  called  Venango  at  the 
mouth  of  the  French  Creek.  From  here  they  pushed  south  and  found 
some  Englishmen  building  a  fort  at  the  junction  of  the  Alleghany 
and  Monongahela.  The  French  drove  the  Englishmen  from  the  place 
and  finished  the  fort  and  named  it  Fort  Du  Quesne.  This  was  the 
fourth  fortification  in  the  line  of  forts  reaching  from  the  lakes  to  the 
Mississippi  river.  The  French  and  Indian  war  was  now  fairly  be- 
gun and  we  shall  return  to  the  Illinois  to  see  what  part  this  region 
was  to  play  in  this  final  contest  for  supremacy  between  the  two  great 
old  world  powers. 

We  have  called  attention  to  the  activity  of  the  French  in  build- 
ing forts  on  the  upper  Ohio  to  secure  that  region  from  the  English. 
The  same  activity  marked  their  preparations  in  the  west  for  thn,  im- 
pending struggle.  Fort  Chartres  had  been  originally  of  wood.  There 
never  were  many  soldiers  stationed  there  at  any  time — only  a  few 
score  soldiers  and  officers,  but  following  King  George's  war  it  was  de- 
cided to  rebuilt  Fort  Chartres  on  a  large  scale.  Many  descriptions 
have  been  written  of  this  charming  historic  spot,  and  many  noted  trav- 
elers have  visited  its  ruins  but  the  author  takes  great  pleasure  in  pre- 
senting a  sketch  written  by  the  Hon.  H.  C.  Voris,  publisher  of  The 
Waterloo  Republican.  Mr.  Voris  has  lived  in  the  vicinity  of  the  old  fort 
for  many'  years  and  possesses  a  familiarity  with  its  history  and  its  tra- 
dition which  peculiarly  fits  him  to  write  its  history.  I  take  pleasure 
therefore  in  presenting  in  section  three  of  this  chapter  the  sketch 
which  Editor  Voris  has  so  kindly  prepared. 


66  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

OLD  PORT  CHARTBES 

Fort  Chartres  is  by  far  the  most  interesting  and  most  important 
historic  point  in  Illinois,  perhaps  in  the  Mississippi  valley.  It  is  in  a 
class  by  itself.  In  its  time  it  was  the  strongest  fort  in  America.  It 
was  the  capital  of  two  mighty  powers,  the  center  of  western  civiliza- 
tion, the  Mecca  of  the  West.  Passing  from  control  of  the  Indians,  Illi- 
nois was  claimed  by  Spain,  occupied  by  France,  conquered  by  Eng- 
land, then  passed  to  the  Americans  under  George  Rogers  Clark  with 
the  capture  of  Kaskaskia.  The  French,  English,  and  American  flags 
successively  floated  at  this  ancient  citadel. 

While  all  other  works  of  the  pioneers  have  suffered  decay,  and  there 
remains  nothing  but  the  sites  on  which  they  stood,  the  ruins  of  Fort' 
Chartres  are  still  well  defined,  and  the  old  powder  magazine  is  still  in- 
tact, apparently  preserved  by  the  very  reverence  which  the  surround- 
ings and  traditions  of  the  place  seem  to  inspire. 

Fort  Chartres  is  situated  in  the  northern  portion  of  Randolph  county, 
near  the  Mississippi,  and  not  far  from  the  Monroe  county  line.  In  fact 
the  settlement  which  grew  up  about  the  fort  was  principally  in  Monroe 
county.  And  the  food-stuffs  which  supplied  the  fort,  and  upon  which 
the  French  drew  in  the  French  and  Indian  war,  were  produced  in  Mon- 
roe, on  what  is  now  known  as  the  Renault  grant. 

The  strategic  point  of  Fort  Chartres  was  first  recognized  by  the  great 
La  Salle.  He  impressed  the  ministers  of  Louis  XIV  of  the  importance 
of  establishing  a  string  of  forts  from  Quebec  down  through  the  Missis- 
sippi valley,  thus  early  recognizing  the  fact  that  this  portion  of  country 
was  destined  to  become  populous  and  valuable. 

This  territory  was  embraced  in  the  Florida  country  and  claimed  by 
Spain  by  right  of  discovery.  The  claims  of  France  were  based  upon  the 
explorations  of  La  Salle.  The  English  then  were  east  of  the  Alleghanies, 
but  were  gradually  pushing  westward.  The  early  French  explorers 
were  first  to  discover  the  great  resources  of  the  valley,  its  rich  trade  in 
furs  and  minerals,  and  agricultural  productions.  The  shrewd  French 
traders  early  saw  the  clash  which  was  inevitable  from  the  Spanish  then 
at  Santa  Fe,  and  the  English  on  the  east. 

For  protection  against  these  two  future  foes  it  was  determined  to 
erect  a  fort,  and  Pierre  Duque  Boisbriant,  a  cousin  of  Bienville,  then 
governor  of  Louisiana,  was  sent  with  his  commission  as  commandant 
of  the  Illinois.  He  arrived  in  Mobile  February  9,  1718. 

In  October  of  1718  he  arrived  in  the  Illinois  country,  stopping  at 
Kaskaskia.  He  determined  upon  a  site  sixteen  miles  above  Kaskas- 
kia, midway  between  Kaskaskia  and  Cahokia,  and  the  same  winter 
began  work  upon  the  fort. 

Fort  Chartres  was  completed  in  1720,  and  the  banner  of  France  was 
flung  to  the  breeze.  This  log  fort  protected  within  its  walls  the  barracks 
and  commandant's  house,  store-house  of  the  India  Company,  and  maga- 
zines. It  was  named  in  honor  of  Due  de  Chartres,  son  of  the  Regent. 

One  of  the  first  arrivals  after  the  completion  of  the  log  fort  was 
Philip  Francois  Renault,  a  banker  of  Paris,  and  director-general  of  the 
mines  of  the  India  Company.  He  brought  with  him  about  250  miners, 
and  several  slaves  from  St.  Domingo.  The  present  colored  population 
of  Prairie  du  Rocher  are  descendants  of  the  Renault  slaves.  Thus  was 
slavery  introduced  into  Illinois. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  67 

The  fort  was  scarcely  finished  when  Boisbriant  was  apprised  of  a 
contemplated  attack  by  the  Spaniards  from  Mexico.  This  force,  how- 
ever, was  annihilated  by  the  Pawnees,  the  chaplain  of  the  expedition 
alone  escaping.  This  account  of  the  expedition  was  given  to  Father 
Charlevoix  at  Green  Bay  by  two  Indian  chiefs. 

Father  Charlevoix  was  traveling  through  the  valley.  With  him 
was  a  young  Canadian  escort,  Jean  St.  Ange  de  Belle  Rive,  who  later  be- 
came commander  of  the  fort. 

The  village  which  grew  up  about  the  fort  became  the  parish  of  Ste. 
Anne  de  Fort  Chartres. 

The  Provincial  Council  of  the  Illinois  consisted  of  the  governor- 
general,  Boisbriant ;  civil  officer,  Marc  Antoine  de  la  Loire  des  Ursins, 
also  principal  director  of  the  India  Company ;  and  Michel  Chassin,  com- 
missary for  the  company.  This  council  dispensed  justice,  regulated 
titles,  and  established  the  court  which  prevailed  for  forty  years.  They 
executed  the  grants  upon  which  many  titles  rest  to  this  day. 

One  of  their  largest  grants  was  made  in  1723  to  Philip  Renault,  con- 
sisting of  a  piece  of  land  in  Monroe  county,  one  league  along  the  river 
and  two  leagues  inland.  This  tract  lies  just  north  of  the  fort.  It  was 
intended  by  Renault  to  furnish  provisions  for  his  men  at  the  mines. 
(This  grant  was  never  conveyed  by  Renault,  and  for  many  years  was 
marked  upon  the  map  as  the  property  of  Philip  Renault  heirs.)  From 
Indian  tradition  much  mineral  wealth  was  believed  to  be  in  what  is  now 
Monroe  county,  and  local  tradition  substantiates  such  views  as  to  lead. 
Silver  creek  derives  its  name  from  reported  silver  mines  along  its  banks. 
Many  efforts  have  been  made  to  locate  the  lost  lead  mine  in  the  bluffs  of 
Monroe,  but  all  have  proved  futile.  Traces  of  gold  have  been  found  in 
Prairie  du  Long  precinct,  and  tradition  weaves  an  interesting  story,  the 
same  traditions,  perhaps,  that  lured  Renault. 

In  1728  the  troops  at  Fort  Chartres  were  called  upon  to  repel  the 
Foxes,  a  tribe  of  Indians  who  had  become  very  troublesome. 

In  1729  Governor  St.  Ange  purchased  a  tract  of  land  near  the  fort 
from  an  Indian  named  Chicago. 

In  1734  the  Chickasaws  became  offensive,  and  Bienville  resolved  to 
crush  them.  De  Coulanges  was  sent  to  Fort  Chartres  with  a  supply  of 
ammunition.  But  he  disobeyed  orders  and  transported  merchandise, 
leaving  the  powder  at  the  Arkansas.  For  this  he  was  imprisoned  six 
months  at  the  fort.  In  February,  D'Artaguiette,  who  had  succeeded 
St.  Ange,  sailed  down  the  river  with  his  troops,  together  with  all  the 
Kaskaskia  Indians,  and  a  flock  of  Indian  warriors  as  far  away  as  De- 
troit, led  by  Chief  Chicago.  The  troops  reached  the  Chickasaw  vil- 
lages, but  the  soldiers  from  New  Orleans  failed  to  arrive,  and  the 
Frenchmen  were  defeated  by  the  Chickasaws.  D'Artaguiette,  young  St. 
Ange,  Vincenne  and  many  others  were  burned  at  the  stake. 

After  the  death  of  D'Artaguiette,  La  Buissoniere  succeeded  him  as 
commandant  of  Illinois.  These  were  the  brightest  days  of  Fort  Chartres. 
He  kept  peace  with  the  Indians,  developed  agriculture,  and  extended 
trade.  He  sent  two  convoys  each  year  to  New  Orleans,  loaded  with  the 
produce  of  the  vicinity.  The  smaller  villages  of  Prairie  du  Rocher  and 
St.  Phillipe  sprang  up  in  the  vicinity.  Boisbriant  conveyed  much  of  his 
land  ,to  his  nephew  Langlois,  and  he  in  turn  to  others.  Descendants  of 
the  elder  Langlois  still  reside  at  Prairie  du  Rocher.  St.  Phillipe  was  es- 
tablished upon  the  Renault  grant  by  Philip  Renault,  and  became  a  thriv- 


68  .  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

ing  village.  Renault  made  his  last  conveyance  of  a  lot  at  St.  Phillipe  in 
1740,  and  returned  to  Paris. 

Chevalier  de  Bertel  became  major-commandant  in  1743,  succeeding 
La  Buissoniere.  Affairs  at  the  fort  were  becoming  gloomy.  France  and 
England  were  at  war.  The  Indians  had  been  won  over  to  the  English, 
and  had  greed  to  destroy  the  fort  at  the  falling  of  the  leaves.  De  Bertel 
appealed  to  the  governor  of  Canada,  Marquis  de  Galissoniere,  who  be- 
came impressed  with  the  necessity  of  holding  the  fort.  His  memorial 
to  the  French  government  was  so  strong  that  the  king  sacrificed  much 
of  his  private  fortune  for  its  support.  The  treaty  of  Aix  la  Chapelle 
saved  the  fort,  and  gave  them  time  to  recuperate. 

Recognizing  the  importance  of  the  post,  the  French  government  in 
1750  sent  Chevalier  Makarty,  a  major  of  engineers,  and  a  few  companies 
of  troops  to  rebuild  the  citadel  of  Illinois.  Other  detachments  followed, 
until  nearly  a  full  regiment  was  quartered  there.  Benoist  St.  Clair  had 
succeeded  Bertel  as  commandant. 

The  old  fort  had  been  hastily  constructed  of  wood.  The  new  fort  was 
to  be  of  stone.  It  was  planned  and  constructed  by  Lieutenant  Jean  B. 
Saussier,  a  French  engineer,  whose  descendants  lived  in  Cahokia  many 
years,  one  of  whom,  Dr.  John  Snyder,  now  lives  in  Virginia,  Cass  county, 
Illinois.  When  completed  it  was  the  finest  and  most  costly  fort  in  Amer- 
ica. The  cost  of  its  construction  was  about  $1,500,000,  and  it  seriously 
embarrassed  the  French  exchequer.  Makarty  evidently  drew  his  inspi- 
ration from  the  temple  of  King  Solomon.  The  stones  were  hewn, 
squared,  and  numbered  in  the  quarries  in  the  bluff  just  opposite,  about 
four  miles  distant,  and  conveyed  across  the  lake  to  the  fort  in  boats. 
The  massive  stone  walls  enclosed  about  four  acres.  They  were  18  feet 
high  and  about  two  feet  thick.  The  gateway  was  arched,  and  15  feet 
high ;  a  cut-stone  platform  was  above  the  gate  with  a  stair  of  nineteen 
steps  and  balustrade  leading  to  it;  there  were  four  bastions,  each  with 
forty-eight  loopholes,  eight  embrasures,  and  a  sentry  box,  all  in  cut 
stone.  Within  the  walls  stood  the  store  house,  90  feet  long,  30  wide,  two 
stories  high ;  the  guard  house  with  two  rooms  above  for  chapel  and  mis- 
sionary quarters;  the  government  house,  84x32,  with  iron  gates  and  a 
stone  porch ;  a  coach  house,  pigeon  house,  and  large  well  walled  up  with 
the  finest  of  dressed  rock;  the  intendant's  house;  two  rows  of  barracks, 
each  128  feet  long ;  the  magazine,  which  is  still  standing  and  well  pre- 
served 35x38  and  13  feet  high ;  bake  ovens ;  four  prison  cells  of  cut 
stone ;  one  large  relief  gate  on  the  north.  Such  was  the  pride  of  the 
French  empire,  and  the  capital  of  New  France. 

The  fort  was  scarcely  completed  when  the  French  and  Indian  war 
broke  out.  In  May  of  1754  George  Washington  and  his  Virginia  rifle- 
men surprised  the  French  at  Great  Meadows,  where  Jumonville,  the 
French  commander,  was  killed.  A  brother  of  the  slain  French  comman- 
der, who  was  stationed  at  Fort  Chartres,  secured  leave  from  Makarty 
to  avenge  his  death.  Taking  his  company  with  him  they  proceeded  to 
Fort  Duquesne,  and  there  gathering  up  some  friendly  Indians  they  at- 
tacked Washington  at  Fort  Necessity,  which  was  surrendered  on  July  4. 
This  was  the  real  beginning  of  the  old  French  war.  Flushed  with  victory, 
the  little  detachment  returned  to  Fort  Chartres,  and  celebrated  the  tri- 
umph of  Illinois  over  Virginia. 

In  the  French  and  Indian  war  the  demand  upon  Makarty  at  Fort 
Chartres  for  men  and  provisions  became  incessant.  In  fact,  Fort  Char- 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  69 

tres  became  the  principal  base  of  supplies  in  the  west.  In  1755,  Captain 
Aubry  was  sent  to  reenforce  Port  Duquesne  with  400  men.  The  fort 
held  out  for  some  time,  but  later  Colonel  Washington  compelled  its  aban- 
donment. 

The  power  of  the  French  began  to  wane.  They  maintained 
the  struggle  gallantly,  however,  and  made  one  more  desperate  effort 
to  raise  the  siege  of  Port  Niagara.  They  failed.  The  flower  of  Fort 
Chartres  went  down  at  Niagara.  The  surrender  of  Canada  soon  fol- 
lowed, but  Port  Chartres  still  held  out  for  the  French  king.  (After 
the  rebuilding  of  the  fort  the  place  became  known  as  New  Chartres.) 
They  hoped  that  they  would  still  be  considered  with  Louisiana,  and 
remain  in  French  territory.  Their  disappointment  was  bitter  when 
they  learned  that  on  February  10,  1763,  Louis  XV  had  ratified  the 
treaty  transferring  them  to  Great  Britain. 

While  the  French  at  Fort  Chartres  were  waiting  for  a  British 
force  to  come  to  take  possession,  Pierre  Laclede  arrived  from  New 
Orleans  to  settle  at  the  Illinois,  bringing  with  him  a  company  repre- 
senting merchants  engaged  in  the  fur  trade.  Learning  of  the  treaty 
of  cession  he  decided  to  establish  his  post  on  the  west  side  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi, which  he  still  believed  to  be  French  soil.  He  selected  a  fine 
bluff  sixty  miles  north  of  Fort  Chartres  for  the  site  of  his  post,  and 
returned  for  the  winter.  In  the  spring  he  began  his  colony,  and  was 
enthusiastic  over  its  prospects.  Many  of  the  French  families  followed 
him,  wishing  to  remain  under  the  French  flag.  Their  disappointment 
was  still  more  bitter  when  they  learned  that  all  the  French  possessions 
west  of  the  Mississippi  had  been  ceded  to  Spain.  This  is  now  St.  Louis. 

The  elder  St.  Ange,  who  had  been  at  Vincennes,  returned  to  take 
part  in  the  last  act.  Though  the  territory  had  been  transferred  to 
King  George,  the  white  flag  of  the  Bourbons  continued  to  fly  at  Fort 
Chartres,  the  last  place  in  America.  The  Indian  chief  Pontiac,  was 
another  power  not  taken  into  confidence  at  the  treaty.  Pontiac  loved 
the  French,  but  detested  the  English.  When  the  English  companies 
under  Loftus,  Pitman,  and  Morris,  respectively  came  to  take  possession, 
each  was  balked  by  the  wily  red  man.  Chief  Pontiac  gathered  an 
army  of  red  men  and  proceeded  to  Fort  Chartres  where  he  met  St. 
Ange,  and  boldly  proposed  to  assist  him  in  repelling  the  English.  St. 
Ange  plainly  told  him  that  all  was  over,  and  advised  him  to  make 
peace  with  the  English.  Fort  Chartres  was  finally  surrendered  to 
Captain  Stirling  on  October  10,  1765.  The  red  cross  of  St.  George 
replaced  the  Lilies  of  France.  St.  Ange  and  his  men  took  a  boat  for 
St.  Louis,  and  there  enrolled  in  the  garrison  under  the  Spanish,  which 
St.  Ange  was  appointed  to  command. 

The  first  court  of  law  was  established  at  Fort  Chartres  in  December, 
1768,  Fort  Chartres  becoming  the  capital  of  the  British  province  west 
of  the  Alleghanies.  Colonel  Wilkins  had  assumed  command  under  a 
proclamation  from  General  Gage,  and  with  seven  judges  sat  at  Fort 
Chartres  to  administer  the  law  of  England.  After  the  surrender  by 
the  French  the  church  records  were  removed  to  Kaskaskia.  The  rec- 
ords of  the  old  French  court  were  also  removed  there.  A  constant 
warfare  had  been  kept  up  by  the  Indians,  until  Pontiac  was  killed  near 
Cahokia  by  an  Illinois  Indian.  Pontiac 's  warriors  pursued  the  Illinois 
tribe  to  the  walls  of  Fort  Chartres,  where  many  of  them  were  slain, 
the  British  refusing  to  assist  them.  St.  Ange  recovered  the  body  of 


70  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

Pontiac,  and  it  was  buried  on  the  spot  now  occupied  by  the  Southern 
Hotel  in  St.  Louis,  a  memorial  plate  marking  the  place. 

In  1772  high  water  swept  away  one  of  the  bastions,  and  a  part  of 
the  western  wall  of  Fort  Chartres.  The  British  took  refuge  at  Kaskas- 
kia,  and  the  fort  was  never  occupied  again.  Congress,  in  1778,  re- 
served to  the  government  a  tract  one  mile  square,  of  which  the  fort 
was  the  center.  But  this  reservation  was  opened  to  entry  in  1849,  no 
provision  being  made  for  the  fort.  Governor  Reynolds  visited  the 
place  in  1802.  He  says:  "It  is  an  object  of  antiquarian  curiosity. 
The  trees,  undergrowth  and  brush  are  mixed  and  interwoven  with  the 
old  walls.  It  presented  the  most  striking  contrast  between  a  savage 
wilderness,  filled  with  wild  beasts  and  reptiles,  and  the  remains  of  one 
of  the  largest  and  strongest  fortifications  on  the  continent.  Large 
trees  were  growing  in  the  houses  which  once  contained  the  elegant  and 
accomplished  French  officers  and  soldiers." 

Judge  Brackenridge  of  the  United  States  District  of  Louisiana,  in 
1811,  says:  "Fort  Chartres  is  a  noble  ruin,  and  is  visited  by  strangers 
as  a  great  curiosity.  The  outward  wall,  barracks  and  magazine  are 
still  standing.  There  are  a  number  of  cannon  lying  half  buried  in  the 
earth,  with  their  trunnions  broken  off." 

Hall,  in  his  Romance  of  the  West  in  1829,  says:  "It  was  with 
difficulty  that  we  found  the  ruins,  which  are  covered  with  a  vigorous 
growth  of  forest  trees.  .  .  .  The  buildings  were  all  razed  to  the 
ground,  but  the  lines  of  the  foundations  could  be  easily  traced.  A 
large  vaulted  powder  magazine  remained  in  good  preservation.  And  it 
was  curious  to  see  in  the  gloom  of  a  wild  forest  these  remnants  of  the 
architecture  of  a  past  age." 

It  is  a  pleasant  drive  from  Waterloo  to  the  ruins.  The  twenty  miles 
take  you  along  one  of  the  most  productive  ridges  of  the  valley  for  part 
of  the  way,  after  which  a  turn  is  made  into  the  bluffs  and  the  "big 
spring"  is  passed  which  was  the  stopping  place  for  the  early  travelers 
on  their  way  from  Kaskaskia  and  Fort  Chartres  to  Cahokia.  From  a 
distance,  after  getting  into  the  bottom,  the  bluffs  present  as  pretty  a 
picture  as  do  the  famed  palisades  of  the  Hudson,  or  the  beautiful  val- 
ley of  the  Ohio.  And,  suddenly,  you  descend  a  little  knoll,  and  find 
yourself  at  once  in  Prairie  du  Rocher.  Here  are  the  descendants  of 
the  French  of  Fort  Chartres,  who  chose  to  stay  rather  than  to  follow 
St.  Ange  to  St.  Louis.  Here  is  the  typical  French  village,  where  all  is 
sunshine  and  flowers,  where  love  and  piety  prevail,  where  the  very 
atmosphere  seems  inspired  with  French  accents  of  the  past.  Three 
chalices  and  a  monstrance,  and  a  tabernacle  of  inlaid  wood,  all  from 
the  church  of  Ste.  Anne  of  Fort  Chartres,  are  preserved  in  the  church 
of  St.  Joseph  in  Prairie  du  Rocher.  Three  miles  due  west  lie  the  ruins 
of  the  old  fort.  It  was  the  writer's  pleasure  to  visit  this  spot  with 
Father  Krewet  in  1886,  when  he  was  in  charge  of  the  parish. 

All  roads  formerly  lead  to  Fort  Chartres.  Now  it  takes  diligent 
inquiry  to  find  the  place.  It  lies  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the 
public  highway,  completely  obscured  by  the  growth  of  underbrush 
which  surrounds  it.  Upon  arriving  at  the  spot  the  old  magazine  stands 
out  proudly  and  reverently,  connecting  the  two  centuries  past  with  the 
present.  The  very  ground  seems  hallowed.  The  songs  of  the  birds 
seem  sacred.  And  the  lover  of  history  gazes  in  awe  and  silence  upon 
the  ruins  of  the  past,  which  almost  two  centuries  ago,  teemed  with  life. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  71 

This  was  the  Paris  of  America,  where  the  gallant  French  officers  in 
gold  and  glitter  danced  with  ladies  attired  in  the  latest  fashions  of 
France. 

The  old  gateway  of  carved  stone  may  yet  be  traced.  One  of  the 
corner  bastions  is  still  fairly  well  defined.  One  angle  of  the  wall  still 
remains,  and  for  many  years  served  as  a  foundation  for  a  barn  built 
within  these  sacred  precincts.  The  well  is  still  there,  walled  with  its 
cut  stone,  and  until  recently  contained  good,  pure  water,  in  decided 
contrast  to  the  ordinary  well  near  the  river. 

The  old  walls  have  been  destroyed  by  the  ruthless  hands  of  ignor- 
ance, and  the  lapse  of  time.  The  dressed  stones  have  been  hauled  away 
and  now  form  the  foundations  of  many  houses  and  barns  between  the 
old  fort  and  Kaskaskia. 

Fate  has  been  kind  to  the  magazine.     Its  walls  built  of  carefully 


POWDER  MAGAZINE  OF  OLD  FORT  CHARTRES 

dressed  and  fitted  stones,  and  its  arched  roof,  have  defied  the  elements, 
and  so  far  have  escaped  the  unsparing  hand  of  barbarous  force. 

The  cannon  which  bristled  proudly  in  the  halcyon  days  have  long 
since  disappeared,  having  been  removed  to  Fort  Russell  (now  Edwards- 
ville),  which  was  the  principal  base  of  operations  in  the  west  in  the 
War  of  1812,  and  to  Fort  Jefferson,  some  miles  below  Cairo,  in  Ken- 
tucky. 

The  villages  of  Ste.  Anne  and  St.  Phillipe  have  also  disappeared. 
St.  Phillipe  is  now  a  farm,  but  to  this  day  a  part  of  the  road  at  the  bluffs 
and  a  portion  of  the  field  is  known  as  King's  Highway,  and  marks  the 
road  which  Renault  traveled  in  his  zenith. 

The  old  magazine,  now  covered  with  moss  and  vines,  is  indeed  an 
object  picturesque  and  venerable.  It  is  by  far  the  most  interesting 
ruin  of  Colonial  days.  At  the  session  of  the  legislature  in  1911,  a  bill 
was  introduced,  appropriating  a  sum  of  money  with  which  to  purchase 
the  site  and  convert  it  into  a  state  park.  It  was  a  most  worthy  cause. 
And  it  is  hoped  that  some  action  will  yet  be  taken  to  preserve  the  old 
magazine  and  preserve  the  site  before  it  is  too  late. 


72 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 
PLAN  OF  FORT  CHARTRES  ON  MISSISSIPPI 


Survey  by  N.  Hansen  and  L.  C.  Beck,  in  1820. 
Scale  125  ft.  to  inch. 
A  A  A     Exterior  wall,  1,447  feet. 
B    Gate. 
C     Small  gate. 

D  D     Two  houses  occupied  by  commandant  and  commissary,  each 
96x30  feet. 
E     Well. 
F    Magazine. 


SfAVINE. 


OUTLINE  PLAN  OP  OLD  FORT  CHARTRES,  DRAWN  FROM  A  SURVEY  MADE  IN 
1820  BY  NICHOLAS  HANSEN  AND  LEWIS  C.  BECK 

GG  GG    Barracks,  135x36  feet. 

H  H     Store  house  and  guard  house,  90x24  feet. 

I     Small  magazine. 

K    Furnace. 

L  L  L     Ravine,  filled  with  water  in  spring. 

Area  of  fort  about  four  square  acres. 

THE  COMING  OF  THE  BRITISH 

The  treaty  which  closed  the  French  and  Indian  war  was  signed  at 
Paris  February  10,  1763.  It  was  known  when  Quebec  fell  that  the  ter- 
ritory west  of  the  Alleghanies  would  eventually  come  into  possession  of 
the  English.  It  was  a  great  trial  for  the  Indians  around  the  great  lakes 
and  in  the  Mississippi  valley  to  transfer  their  allegiance  from  the  king 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  73 

of  France  to  the  king  of  England.  The  Indians  claimed  that  they  were 
independent  nations  and  that  they  had  not  had  a  voice  in  the  treaty 
and  they  therefore  felt  that  their  interests  had  been  neglected  by  the 
treaty-making  powers.  There  were  specific  provisions  for  the  transfer 
of  the  French  settlers  from  the  control  of  France  to  the  oversight  of 
England,  but  nothing  was  said  affecting  the  interests  and  oversight  and 
control  of  the  Indians.  When  England  began  the  work  of  taking  pos- 
session of  this  western  territory,  the  Indians  under  the  leadership 
of  Pontiac  began  a  series  of  counter  movements  which  delayed  the 
coming  of  the  British.  The  flag  of  Great  Britain  was  promptly  raised 
over  Fort  Pitt,  Niagara,  Detroit,  Green  Bay,  St.  Joseph,  Mackinaw 
and  other  points.  There  were  only  three  things  for  the  Indians  to 
do — leave  the  territory  for  lands  west  of  the  Mississippi  river,  enter 
into  some  form  of  treaty  relations  with  Great  Britain  and  remain  on 
their  old  lands,  or  oppose  by  force  of  arms  the  spread  of  English  con- 
trol in  the  west.  "Their  nature,  courage,  and  love  of  independence, 
sustained  by  the  justness  of  their  cause,  prompted  them  to  adopt  the 
last  alternative." 

The  King  of  England  in  order  to  allay  as  far  as  possible  the  feel- 
ings of  the  Indians,  issued  a  proclamation  in  1763  in  which  he  set 
apart  the  "Indian  Country,"  which  included  all  the  territory  west 
of  the  Alleghanies,  east  of  the  Mississippi,  north  of  the  Floridas,  and 
south  of  the  great  lakes.  He  ordered  that  no  governors  of  the  Eng- 
lish colonies  on  the  Atlantic  seaboard  should  make  any  grants  of  lands 
west  of  the  Alleghanies.  He  also  forbade  any  transfers  or  grants  of 
lands  by  the  Indians  themselves.  Notwithstanding  this  proclamation 
the  surveyors  were  busy  locating  tracts  which  had  been  previously 
granted,  and  so  far  as  the  Indians  were  concerned  or  could  see  there 
was  little  attention  paid  to  the  king's  proclamation. 

All  that  was  needed  for  an  Indian  uprising  was  to  find  some  one 
who  could  crystallize  the  resentment  and  distrust  of  the  Indians.  Such 
a  person  was  found  in  the  great  Pontiac  a  chief  of  the  Ottawas.  He  is 
said  to  have  had  French  blood  in  his  veins  and  to  have  taken  a  pledge 
of  undying  hatred  toward  the  British.  He  had  been  prominent  in  the 
Indian  wars  since  1744.  He  was  a  man  of  talent,  courage,  and  integrity. 
He  could  not  be  pacified  after  the  fall  of  Quebec,  and  saw  more  clearly 
than  any  one  else  the  doom  of  the  Red  Man's  reign  in  the  great  north- 
west. He  acted  without  delay  and  by  the  middle  of  the  summer  of  1763 
had  a  well  organized  opposition  to  the  westward  movement  of  British 
military  forces.  A  dozen  English  posts  and  forts  were  captured  by  the 
Indians  and  their  garrisons  put  to  the  sword  or  the  tomahawk,  and  their 
houses  to  the  flames.  Some  of  the  stronger  forts  withstood  sieges  that 
have  become  historic. 

It  is  not  within  the  scope  of  this  work  to  go  greatly  into  the  detail 
of  this  matter,  but  we  desire  merely  to  get  a  background  for  other  his- 
toric events  that  do  fall  within  our  province. 

The  first  effort  of  the  British  forces  to  reach  Fort  Chartres  with  a 
garrison  was  an  expedition  in  command  of  Major  Loftus.  He  was  turned 
back  by  an  attack  on  the  Mississippi  river,  below  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio. 
The  second  effort  was  by  Capt.  Morris  sent  from  Detroit.  Pontiac  met 
him  and  after  an  interview,  Capt.  Morris  returned.  The  third  expedi- 
tion was  headed  by  Lieut.  Frazer  who  came  from  Fort  Pitt.  He  reached 
Kaskaskia,  but  was  there  met  by  Pontiac  and  put  in  a  boat  and  sent  to 


74  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

New  Orleans.  The  fourth  effort  was  by  George  Crogan  who  with  a  small 
detachment  was  intercepted  at  Shawneetown  and  after  many  trying  situ- 
ations was  enabled  to  come  to  an  understanding  with  Pontiac  relative  to 
the  occupation  of  the  Mississippi  valley  by  the  British  troops.  The  fifth 
and  final  expedition  was  sent  from  Fort  Pitt  in  the  autumn  of  1765.  It 
was  commanded  by  Capt.  Stirling  and  consisted  of  120  Highlanders 
from  the  Forty-second  regiment.  They  reached  Fort  Chartres  in  due 
time,  and  when  the  Lilies  of  France  had  been  lowered  by  the  temporary 
commandant,  St.  Ange  De  Belle  Rive,  the  cross  of  St.  George  was  raised 
over  the  ramparts  of  old  Fort  Chartres,  and  the  Illinois  Indians  passed 
under  the  dominion  of  the  British  government.  The  death  of  Pontiac 
has  been  mentioned  and  we  need  not  repeat  it  here. 

ILLINOIS  UNDER  BRITISH  RULE 

At  the  time  of  the  coming  of  Capt.  Stirling  in  1765,  Gen.  Thomas 
Gage  was  in  command  of  his  majesty's  forces  in  North  America.  He 
issued  a  proclamation  which  Capt.  Stirling  made  known  when  he  reached 
the  Illinois  Country  which  was  as  follows : 

A  PROCLAMATION 

Whereas,  by  the  peace  concluded  at  Paris  on  the  10th  of  February,  1763,  the 
country  of  the  Illinois  has  been  ceded  to  his  Brittanic  majesty,  and  the  taking 
possession  of  the  said  country  of  Illinois  by  the  troops  of  his  majesty,  though 
long  delayed,  has  been  determined  upon,  we  have  found  it  good. to  make  known 
to  the  inhabitants — 

That  his  majesty  grants  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  Illinois  the  liberty  of  the 
Catholic  religion,  as  it  has  already  been  granted  to  his  subjects  In  Canada;  he 
has  consequently  given  the  most  precise  and  effective  orders,  to  the  end  that  his 
new  Roman  Catholic  subjects  of  the  Illinois  may  exercise  the  worship  of  their 
religion,  according  to  the  rites  of  the  Roman  church,  in  the  same  manner  as  in 
Canada. 

That  his  majesty,  moreover,  agrees  that  the  French  inhabitants,  or  others, 
who  have  been  subjects  of  the  most  Christian  King,  may  retire,  in  full  safety 
and  freedom,  whenever  they  please,  even  to  New  Orleans,  or  any  other  part  of 
Louisiana  although  it  should  happen  that  the  Spaniards  take  possession  of  it  in 
the  name  of  his  Catholic  majesty;  and  they  may  sell  their  estates,  provided  it 
be  to  subjects  of  his  majesty,  and  transport  their  effects,  as  well  as  their  persons, 
without  restraint  upon  their  emigration,  under  any  pretense  whatever,  except  in 
consequence  of  debts  or  of  criminal  process. 

That  those  who  choose  to  retain  their  lands  and  become  subjects  of  his  ma- 
jesty, shall  enjoy  the  same  rights  and  priviliges,  the  same  security  for  their  per- 
sons and  effects,  and  likely  of  trade,  as  the  old  subjects  of  the  King 

That  they  are  commanded  by  these  presents,  to  take  the  oath  of  fidelity  and 
obedience  to  his  majesty,  in  presence  of  Sieur  Stirling,  captain  of  the  Highland 
regiment,  the  bearer  hereof,  and  furnished  with  our  full  powers  for  this  purpose. 

That  we  recommend  forcibly  to  the  inhabitants,  to  conduct  themselves  like 
good  and  faithful  subjects,  avoiding  by  a  wise  and  prudent  demeanor  all  cause  of 
complaint  against  them. 

That  they  act  in  concert  with  his  majesty's  officers,  so  that  his  troops  may 
take  peaceable  possession  of  all  the  posts,  and  order  be  kept  in  the  country ;  by 
this  means  alone  they  will  spare  his  majesty  the  necessity  of  recurring  to  force 
of  arms,  and  will  find  themselves  saved  from  the  scourge  of  bloody  war,  and  of 
all  evils  which  the  march  of  an  army  into  their  country  would  draw  after  it. 

We  direct  that  these  presents  be  read,  published,  and  posted  up  in  the  usual 
places. 

Done  and  given  at  Headquarters.  New  York.  Signed  with  our  hand,  sealed 
with  our  seal  at  arms,  and  countersigned  by  our  Secretarv.  this  30th  of  Decem- 
ber, 1764. 

THOMAS  GAGE,    [L.  S.] 
By  His  Excellency, 
G.  MATUBIN. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  75 

Gloom  settled  over  the  inhabitants,  and  everywhere  there  were  prep- 
erations  for  leaving  the  Illinois  country.  It  is  said  by  Mason  in  his 
"Chapters  on  Illinois  History"  that  with  the  departure  of  French  au- 
thority from  Fort  Chartres  the  life  in  the  village  of  New  Chartres 
went  out.  In  the  register  then  in  use  of  the  church  of  Ste.  Anne  was 
this  entry :  ' '  The  above-mentioned  church  having  been  abolished  the 
rest  of  the  paper  which  was  in  this  book  has  been  taken  for  the  service 
of  the  church  at  Kaskaskia."  It  was  indeed  a  sad  occasion  for  the 
French  inhabitants.  Here  they  had  built  up  a  little  inland  empire; 
they  had  contributed  of  their  treasure  and  blood  to  save  it  from  their 
old  enemy,  and  now  they  have  become  subjects  of  that  same  enemy. 
"A  large  portion  of  the  population  departed  with  their  sovereigns 's 
.power.  The  old  roof  trees  which  had  so  long  sheltered  them,  the  gar- 
dens they  had  planted,  the  grass  plots  they  had  embellished,  the  fields, 
trees,  and  shrubbery  nurtured,  the  fields  they  had  cultivated,  the  old 
church  in  which  they  and  their  sires  before  them  had  been  baptized  and 
married,  the  ashes  of  their  nearest  and  their  dearest  kindred  lying 
near  it,  every  hallowed  spot,  every  object  around  which  their  warm 
affections  entwined  their  strongest  tendrils,  all  were  abandoned  rather 
than  by  remaining  they  should  acknowledge  fealty  to  a  monarch  they 
did  not  love,  respect  for  laws  they  did  not  understand,  and  reverence 
for  a  church  whose  creed  and  forms  and  ministers  had  not  their  con- 
fidence and  attachment." 

The  officer  in  command  of  the  post  at  Fort  Chartres  was  known  as 
the  commandant  of  the  Illinois  territory.  The  following  is  a  list  of 
those  British  officers  who  served  in  that  capacity: 

Captain   Thomas  Stirling    1765 

Major  Robert  Farmer    1765-1766 

Colonel  Edward  Cole   1766-1768 

Colonel  John  Reed    1768-1768 

Lieut.   Col.  John  Wilkins    1768-1771 

Captain  Hugh  Lord    1771-1775 

Captain   Matthew  Johnson    1775-1776 

Chevalier  de  Rocheblave    1776-1778 

There  is  some  confusion  in  the  old  histories  as  to  the  order  and  the 
dates  of  the  above  list  of  commandants,  but  it  is  believed  the  list  is 
quite  correct. 

The  above  named  officers  were  primarily  military  commandants,  but 
they  exercised  all  the  governmental  authority  that  was  in  force  in  the 
territory — or  at  least  the  earlier  commandants  did  so.  The  inhabitants 
were  very  loud  in  their  condemnation  of  the  oppressions  of  the  military 
commandants,  and  they  frequently  made  complaints  to  those  in  au- 
thority but  with  no  relief.  These  complaints  must  have  eventually 
borne  fruit,  for  upon  the  coming  of  Colonel  Wilkins  as  commandant 
in  1768,  he  brought  an  order  from  his  superior  for  the  establishment 
of  a  civil  court. 

Colonel  Wilkins  therefore  issued  his  proclamation  creating  a  civil 
administration  of  the  laws  of  the  country.  He  appointed  seven  judges 
who  should  hold  court  for  the  adjustment  of  civil  cases.  These  judges 
held  the  first  court  at  Fort  Chartres,  December  the  8th,  1768.  The  law 
in  force  was  the  common  law  of  England.  Trial  by  jury  was  one  fea- 
ture of  the  administration  of  justice.  The  French  inhabitants  had 


76  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

never  been  accustomed  to  this  system  and  they  complained  long  and 
loud  about  the  jury  system.  It  was  difficult  for  the  Frenchman  to 
understand  how  there  could  be  any  justice  meted  out  to  those  who 
sought  relief  in  the  courts,  by  a  jury  of  twelve  men  many  of  whom 
could  not  read  and  write  and  of  course  had  no  technical  knowledge 
of  the  English  law.  But  the  government  was  obstinate  and  gave  the 
inhabitants  no  relief.  The  French  inhabitants  of  the  Illinois  country 
therefore  kept  their  contentions  out  of  the  courts  and  there  was  little 
for  the  courts  to  do.  This  system  continued  till  the  Revolutionary  war. 

The  civil  administration  of  justice  in  the  Illinois  country  remained 
in  force  till  by  act  of  the  British  government  the  whole  of  the  Illinois 
country  was  thrown  into  the  Province  of  Quebec.  This  was  done  by 
the  passage  of  the  Quebec  Act  in  1774.  It  has  been  affirmed  that  this 
act  was  intended  to  conciliate  the  French  Canadians  whose  help  the 
king  saw  he  must  have  in  the  approaching  struggle.  The  constant 
appeals  of  the  French  inhabitants  of  Illinois  for  relief  from  the  unbear- 
able civil  system  may  have  been  another  reason,  and  a  third  may  have 
been  to  dissuade  the  English  colonists  on  the  Atlantic  coast  from  open- 
ing up  the  interior  to  settlement,  for  by  the  terms  of  the  Quebec  Act 
the  Catholic  religion  was  virtually  established  in  the  Illinois  country. 

The  passage  of  this  Quebec  Act  was  regarded  by  the  English  colon- 
ists in  America  as  one  of  the  acts  of  Great  Britain  which  justified  the 
thirteen  colonists  in  revolting.  In  the  Declaration  of  Independence 
we  find  the  complaint — 

For  abolishing  the  free  system  of  English  laws  in  a  neighboring 
province  (the  Illinois  country),  establishing  therein  an  arbitrary  gov- 
ernment, and  enlarging  its  boundaries,  so  as  to  render  it  at  once  an 
example  and  fit  instrument  for  introducing  the  same  absolute  rule  into 
these  colonies. 

In  the  Proclamation  of  1763,  King  George  III  expressly  stated  that 
no  transfers  of  land  should  be  made  by  any  one  within  the  limits  of 
the  Indian  country,  and  settlements  in  this  country  if  not  directly  pro- 
hibited were  discouraged.  However,  while  Colonel  Wilkins  was  com- 
mandant he  made  extensive  grants  of  land  to  his  friends,  he  himself 
being  interested  in  the  grants.  These  grants  were  afterward  confirmed 
by  the  United  States  government. 

It  was  difficult  to  understand  why  the  king  should  forbid  his  sub- 
jects to  settle  west  of  the  Alleghanies.  One  explanation  was  that  above 
referred  to — an  attempt  to  pacify  the  Indians.  This  proclamation  was 
by  and  with  the  consent  of  the  king's  ministers.  The  English  along 
the  Atlantic  coast  were  very  earnest  in  their  requests,  as  individuals 
and  companies,  to  have  the  privilege  of  settling  in  this  "Indian  Coun- 
try." To  all  these  overtures,  the  British  ministry  turned  a  deaf  ear. 
In  later  years  two  definite  and  plausible  reasons  were  assigned  for  the 
action  of  the  king  and  his  ministers.  One  by  General  Gage  is  as  fol- 
lows: "As  to  increasing  the  settlement  (northwest  of  the  Ohio)  to 
respectable  provinces.  ...  I  conceive  it  altogether  inconsistent 
with  sound  policy.  In  the  course  of  a  few  years  necessity  would  force 
them  to  provide  manufactures  of  some  kind  for  themselves,  and  when 
all  connection  upheld  by  commerce  with  the  northern  country  shall 
cease,  it  may  be  expected  that  an  independency  in  her  government  will 
soon  follow."  The  governor  of  Georgia  wrote  the  Lords  of  Trade  to 
the  same  effect. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  77 

He  said:  "If  a  vast  territory  be  granted  to  any  set  of  gentlemen 
who  really  mean  to  people  it,  and  actually  do  so,  it  must  draw  and 
carry  out  a  great  number  of  people  from  Great  Britain,  and  I  appre- 
hend they  will  soon  become  a  kind  of  separate  and  independent  people, 
who  will  set  up  for  themselves,  and  they  will  soon  have  manufactures  of 
their  own,  and  in  process  of  time  they  will  soon  become  formidable 
enough  to  oppose  his  majesty's  authority." 

In  1765,  October  25,  the  king,  George  III,  sent  a  letter  of  instruction 
to  John  Penn,  Esquire,  governor  of  Pennsylvania,  calling  his  attention 
to  the  reports  of  settlements  west  of  the  Alleghanies  by  citizens  of 
Penn's  colony  and  of  Virginia.  He  ordered  Penn  to  use  his  utmost 
power  to  prevent  settlements  in  this  western  country.  Notwithstanding 
this  effort  of  the  king  to  keep  settlers  out  of  this  territory  west  of 
the  Alleghanies,  there  was,  following  the  close  of  the  French  and  In- 
dian war,  a  constant  stream  of  hunters,  explorers,  and  adventurers 
moving  through  the  gaps  in  the  mountains  into  what  is  now  the  states 
of  West  Virginia,  Kentucky,  and  Tennessee. 

As  early  as  1747  Dr.  Walker  of  Virginia  led  an  exploring  party 
into  eastern  Kentucky  and  named  its  principal  stream  Cumberland, 
after  the  Duke  of  Cumberland,  the  youngest  son  of  George  the  II. 
John  Finley  of  North  Carolina  and  some  companions  visited  the  south- 
east part  of  Kentucky  in  1767.  Daniel  Boone  in  company  with  John 
Finley,  John  Stewart  and  three  other  men,  visited  the  territory  of  Ken- 
tucky in  1769.  In  this  same  year  a  band  of  forty  hunters  from  the 
head  waters  of  the  Holston  and  Clinch  in  western  Virginia  explored 
nearly  all  of  central  Kentucky,  and  were  gone  so  long  that  upon  their 
return  they  were  called  the  "Long  Hunters." 

The  British  government  had  given  land  warrants  to  many  who 
had  served  in  the  French  and  Indian  war,  and  many  of  these  claims 
were  surveyed  and  located  on  the  south  side  of  the  Ohio  in  1772  and 
1773.  Two  noted  surveyors,  Thomas  Bullitt  and  Hancock  Taylor  en- 
gaged in  locating  and  surveying  these  claims.  James  Douglas,  an- 
other surveyor,  located  claims  on  the  Ohio  in  the  vicinity  of  Louis- 
ville. Col.  John  Floyd  and  Simon  Kenton  together  with  others  came 
into  Kentucky  about  1774.  They  built  a  cabin  where  the  town  of 
Washington,  Mason  county,  now  stands.  One  of  their  number,  a  Mr. 
Henderson,  was  burned  at  the  stake  by  Indians  at  this  point.  The 
McAfees  settled  on  a  600  acre  tract  where  Frankfort  now  stands 
July  16,  1773. 

During  the  summer  of  1774  James  Harrod  built  Harrodsburg  or 
Harrod's  Town.  Daniel  Boone  was  engaged  to  open  a  road  into  the 
country  south  of  the  Kentucky  river,  and  it  was  while  opening  this 
road  that  Boone  built  the  first  fort,  June  14,  1775.  The  fort  was 
above  Harrod's  Town  and  on  the  south  side  of  the  Kentucky  river. 

In  the  fall  of  1775  Hugh  McGary,  Richard  Hogan,  Thomas  Den- 
ton,  with  their  wives,  and  a  party  of  some  thirty  more  settlers,  joined 
Daniel  Boone  in  Powell's  Valley  just  east  of  Cumberland  Gap  and 
after  many  hardships  and  dangers  arrived  at  Boonesboro  and  these 
were  the  first  families  to  settle  in  Kentucky. 

There  were  in  Kentucky  in  the  fall  of  1775  three  hundred  people 
mostly  men.  Two  hundred  and  thirty  acres  were  under  cultivation. 
A  half  million  acres  of  land  had  been  granted  by  the  "Proprietors  of 
the  Colony  of  Transylvania  in  America."  In  the  summer  of  1775. 


78  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

George  Rogers  Clark,  a  soldier  in  the  Dunmore  wars,  arrived  at 
Harrodsburg,  where  he  found  much  unrest  about  the  ownership  of 
the  territory  south  of  Kentucky  river.  A  meeting  was  held  at  Har- 
rodsburg June  6,  1776,  at  which  Clark  and  Gabriel  Jones  were  chosen 
to  go  to  "Williamsburg,  Va.,  and  ask  to  be  seated  as  representatives  of 
Kentucky  county.  The  legislature  had  adjourned  before  they  reached 
Williamsburg,  and  Clark  visited  Patrick  Henry,  the  governor,  then  ill 
at  his  home. 

Clark  explained  the  relation  of  the  Kentucky  settlers  to  the  state  of 
Virginia,  and  their  danger  from  the  Indians.  Five  hundred  pounds  of 
powder  were  ordered  sent  to  Fort  Pitt  to  await  the  order  of  Clark. 
Jones  and  Clark  attended  the  fall  session  of  the  Virginia  legislature 
and  while  not  seated  as  delegates,  they  got  a  hearing  and  eventually 
got  Kentucky  organized.  Clark  was  back  in  Harrodsburg  in  the 
summer  of  1777  and  assisted  in  the  defense  of  that  place  against  an 
attack  by  the  Indians.  Clark  now  believed  that  the  vicious  attacks 
upon  the  people  of  Kentucky  by  the  Indians  were  instigated  by  the 
British,  who  were  at  Kaskaskia,  Cahokia,  Vincennes,  and  Detroit, 
and  he  evolved  upon  a  plan  of  conquest  of  these  places  which  will  be 
explained  in  the  next  chapter. 


CHAPTER  VII 
CLARK'S  CONQUEST  OF  THE  ILLINOIS  COUNTRY 

CONDITIONS  IN  ILLINOIS — CLARK'S  EXPEDITION  TO  THE  ILLINOIS  COUNTRY 
— PUBLIC  INSTRUCTIONS  TO  GENERAL  CLARK — PRIVATE  INSTRUCTIONS 
— DOWN  THE  RIVER — ACROSS  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS — CAPTURE  OF  KAS- 
KASKIA — COUNTY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Hostilities  in  the  Revolutionary  war  were  well  advanced  by  the  spring 
of  1776.  Washington  had  driven  the  British  troops  from  Boston,  Fort 
Ticonderoga  had  been  captured  by  Americans  and  the  patriot  army  was 
everywhere  very  active. 

The  British  maintained  quite  large  detachments  of  British  regulars 
in  Canada,  about  the  upper  lakes,  and  in  New  York  city  and  Boston. 
There  never  were  many  regulars  stationed  at  Vincennes,  Cahokia,  or  at 
Kaskaskia  or  Fort  Chartres. 

CONDITIONS  IN  ILLINOIS 

When  Fort  Chartres  was  first  constructed  by  Lieut.  Boisbriant  in 
1719,  the  structure  was  half  or  three-quarters  of  a  mile  from  the  river ; 
but  as  time  passed  the  river  channel  changed  its  course  and  came  nearer 
and  nearer  to  the  fort.  In  the  early  part  of  the  year  1772,  a  flood  of  the 
Mississippi  undermined  the  south  side  of  the  wall  of  the  fort  and  por- 
tions thereof  tumbled  into  the  river.  The  garrison  is  said  to  have  made 
its  way  across  the  submerged  lands  and  took  refuge  on  the  hills  near 
Prairie  du  Rocher,  and  later  to  have  taken  up  their  quarters  at  Kaskas- 
kia. Pittman  was  in  Kaskaskia  probably  as  a  royal  engineer  with  the 
army  under  Col.  Fraser  which  reached  Fort  Chartres  December  4,  1765, 
and  remained  in  that  region  three  or  four  years.  He  was  in  Kaskaskia 
at  that  time  and  has  left  quite  a  description  of  the  village.  He  says  of 
this  place:  "The  principal  buildings  are  the  church  and  Jesuits'  house 
which  has  a  small  chapel  adjoining  to  it ;  these  as  well  as  some  other 
houses  in  the  village,  are  built  of  stone.  .  .  .  Sixty-five  families  re- 
side in  this  village,  besides  merchants,  other  casual  people,  and  slaves. 
The  fort,  which  was  burnt  down  in  October,  1766  (no  doubt  while  Pitt- 
man was  in  that  region),  stood  on  the  summit  of  a  high  rock  opposite 
the  village,  and  on  the  other  side  of  the  river;  it  was  an  oblongular 
quadrangle  of  which  the  exterior  polygon  measured  two  hundred  and 
ninety  by  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet ;  it  was  built  of  very  thick  squared 
timber,  and  dovetailed  at  the  angles.  An  officer  and  twenty  soldiers  are 
quartered  in  the  village.  The  officer  governs  the  inhabitants  under  the 
direction  of  the  commandant  at  Fort  Chartres.  Here  are  also  two  com- 

79 


80  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

panics  of  militia."  This  quotation  from  Pittman  will  help  us  to  settle 
a  matter  of  uncertainty  relative  to  the  occupation  of  Fort  Gage  by  the 
British  troops  when  they  abandoned  Fort  Chartres  in  1772  on  account 
of  high  water.  They  were  evidently  not  stationed  in  Fort  Gage  which 
was  burned  in  1766  since  there  is  no  record  of  its  ever  having  been  re- 
built. 

The  Jesuits  were  suppressed  in  France  in  1764  and  in  1766  their 
plantation,  brewery,  and  cattle  in  Kaskaskia  were  all  sold  by  the  French 
government,  the  purchaser  being  Monsieur  Beauvais  said  to  have  been 
the  richest  man  about  Kaskaskia.  The  government  at  that  time  no  doubt 
took  possession  of  the  Jesuits'  house  and  other  property  held  by  the 
order  in  the  town  which  no  doubt  included  the  monastery.  The  public 
buildings  evidently  became  the  headquarters  of  the  British  army  when 
it  moved  from  Fort  Chartres  in  1772.  It  was  here  they  were  quartered 
about  fifty  soldiers,  when  they  were  ordered  to  leave  for  Canada  at  the 
outbreak  of  the  Revolutionary  war.  There  were  no  British  troops  at 
Kaskaskia  and  probably  not  at  any  other  point  in  the  Illinois  at  the  com- 
ing of  George  Rogers  Clark. 

We  have  already  called  attention  to  the  inroads  of  the  savages  into 
the  country  between  the  Alleghanies  and  the  Ohio  river.  The  state  of 
Virginia  had  already  furnished  the  Kentuckians  with  500  Ibs.  of  powder 
and  a  quantity  of  lead.  With  these  munitions  the  Kentuckians  had 
been  able  to  protect  themselves  against  these  inroads.  George  Rogers 
Clark  had  studied  these  Indian  attacks  and  was  convinced  that  these 
inroads  from  north  of  the  Ohio  were  the  result  of  an  understanding 
between  the  Indians  and  the  British  commandants  at  Kaskaskia,  Vin- 
cennes,  and  Detroit. 

In  the  summer  of  1777,  Clark  sent  two  spies,  Moore  and  Dunn,  to 
Kaskaskia  to  determine  the  true  situation  and  to  bring  a  report  of  the 
military  strength  of  the  place.  They  returned  in  due  season  and  "re- 
ported great  activity  on  the  part  of  the  militia  as  well  as  the  most  ex- 
tended encouragement  to  the  Indians  in  their  barbarous  depredations 
upon  the  Kentucky  frontier. ' '  With  this  information  to  confirm  his  own 
judgment  in  the  matter  he  began  active  measures  for  the  conquest  of  the 
entire  northwest  territory. 

CLAKK'S  EXPEDITION  TO  THE  ILLINOIS  COUNTRY 

George  Rogers  Clark  left  Kentucky  October  1,  1777,  for  Virginia  to 
lay  his  plans  before  the  authorities  for  the  conquest  of  the  British  posts 
northwest  of  the  Ohio.  The  people  of  Kentucky  were  very  loath  to  let 
him  go  as  they  feared  he  would  join  the  Continental  army  and  his  help 
be  lost  to  them.  But  he  told  them  he  would  return  to  them  which  he 
had  fully  determined  to  do.  Major  Clark  remained  in  WilHamsburg 
several  weeks  settling  the  accounts  of  the  Kentucky  militia  and  gather- 
ing the  temper  of  the  Virginia  authorities.  On  December  10th  he  felt 
he  was  on  safe  ground  and  he  laid  his  plans  before  Governor  Patrick 
Henry.  The  governor  was  in  perfect  harmony  with  the  plans  except 
he  feared  for  a  detachment  of  soldiers  in  so  distant  a  region.  He  con- 
sulted wifti  his  advisers  and  after  many  conferences  with  Clark  and  his 
council  the  plans  were  all  matured. 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  81 

PUBLIC  INSTRUCTIONS  TO  GENERAL  CLARK 

On  January  2,  1778,  Col.  Clark  received  two  sets  of  instructions  re- 
lative to  his  proposed  expedition  to  the  Illinois  country.  One  set  he  was 
to  make  public  for  the  purpose  of  securing  recruits  for  the  defense  of 
Kentucky.  These  instructions  were  as  follows : 

' '  Lieutenant  Colonel  George  Rogers  Clark :  You  are  to  proceed,  with- 
out loss  of  time,  to  enlist  seven  companies  of  men,  officered  in  the  usual 
manner,  to  act  as  a  militia  under  your  orders.  They  are  to  proceed  to 
Kentucky,  and  there  to  obey  such  orders  and  directions  as  you  shall 
give  them,  for  three  months  after  their  arrival  at  that  place ;  but  to  re- 
ceive pay,  etc.,  in  case  they  remain  on  duty  a  longer  time. 

"You  are  empowered  to  raise  these  men  in  any  county  in  the  com- 
monwealth ;  and  the  county  lieutenants,  respectively,  are  requested  to 
give  you  all  possible  assistance  in  that  business. 

"Given  under  my  hand  at  Williamsburg,  January  2nd,  1778. 

"P.Henry." 

PRIVATE  INSTRUCTIONS 

"Virginia  in  Council,  Williamsburg,  January  2d,  1778.  Lieutenant 
Colonel  George  Rogers  Clark:  You  are  to  proceed  with  all  convenient 
speed  to  raise  seven  companies  of  soldiers,  to  consist  of  fifty  men  each, 
officered  in  the  usual  manner,  and  armed  most  properly  for  the  enter- 
prise ;  and  with  this  force  attack  the  British  fort  at  Kaskaskia. 

"It  is  conjectured  there  are  many  pieces  of  cannon  and  stores,  to 
considerable  amount,  at  that  place,  the  taking  and  preservation  of 
which,  would  be  a  valuable  acquisition  to  the  state.  If  you  are  so  for- 
tunate, therefore,  as  to  succeed  in  your  expedition,  you  will  take  every 
possible  measure  to  secure  the  artillery  and  stores,  and  whatever  may 
advantage  the  state. 

"For  the  transportation  of  the  troops,  provisions,  etc.,  down  the 
Ohio ;  you  are  to  apply  to  the  commanding  officer  at  Fort  Pitt  for  boats ; 
and  during  the  whole  transaction  you  are  to  take  especial  care  to  keep 
the  true  destination  of  your  force  secret — its  success  depends  upon  this. 
Orders  are  therefore  given  to  secure  the  two  men  from  Kaskaskia.  Sim- 
ilar conduct  will  be  proper  in  similar  cases. 

"It  is  earnestly  desired  that  you  show  humanity  to  such  British  sub- 
jects and  other  persons,  as  fall  in  your  hands.  If  the  white  inhabitants 
at  that  post  and  the  neighborhood  will  give  undoubted  evidence  of  their 
attachment  to  thia  state  (for  it  is  certain  they  live  within  its  limits),  by 
taking  the  test  prescribed  by  law,  and  by  every  other  way  and  means  in 
their  power,  let  them  be  treated  as  fellow  citizens,  and  their  person  and 
property  duly  secured.  Assistance  and  protection  against  all  enemies 
whatever  shall  be  afforded  them,  and  the  commonwealth  of  Virginia  is 
pledged  to  accomplish  it.  But  if  these  people  will  not  accede  to  these 
reasonable  demands,  they  must  feel  the  miseries  of  war,  under  the  di- 
rection of  that  humanity  that  has  hitherto  distinguished  Americans,  and 
which  it  is  expected  you  will  ever  consider  the  rule  of  your  conduct,  and 
from  which  you  are  in  no  instance  to  depart. 

"The  corps  you  are  to  command  are  to  receive  the  pay  and  allow- 
ance of  militia  and  to  act  under  the  laws  and  regulations  of  this  state 
now  in  force,  as  militia.  The  inhabitants  of  this  post  will  be  informed 


82  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

by  you,  that  in  case  they  accede  to  the  offers  of  becoming  citizens  of  this 
commonwealth,  a  proper  garrison  will  be  maintained  among  them  and 
every  attention  bestowed  to  render  their  commerce  beneficial,  the  fairest 
prospects  being  opened  to  the  dominions  of  France  and  Spain. 

"It  is  in  contemplation  to  establish  a  post  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Ohio.  Cannon  will  be  wanted  to  fortify  it.  Part  of  those  at  Kaskaskia 
will  be  easily  brought  thither,  or  otherwise  secured,  as  circumstances  will 
make  necessary. 

"You  are  to  apply  to  Gen.  Hand  for  powder  and  lead  necessary  for 
this  expedition.    If  he  can't  supply  it,  the  person  who  has  that  brought 
from  Orleans  can.    Lead  was  sent  to  Hampshire,  by  my  orders,  and  that 
may  be  delivered  to  you. 
' '  Wishing  you  success, 

"I  am,  sir, 

"Your  humble  servant, 
"P.  Henry." 

Clark  was  to  proceed  to  Fort  Pitt  where  he  should  be  provided 
with  boats,  powder  and  other  necessaries.  Here  he  was  also  to  gather 
some  troops.  Recruiting  officers  were  despatched  throughout  west- 
ern Virginia  and  Kentucky  to  raise  seven  companies  of  fifty  men 
each.  Among  those  who  assisted  in  raising  troops  were  Major  Wil- 
liam B.  Smith,  Capt.  Leonard  Helm,  Capt.  Joseph  Bowman,  Capt. 
William  Harrod,  Capt.  Dillard,  Capt.  Joe  Montgomery. 

DOWN  THE  OHIO 

Upon  the  arrival  of  Clark  at  Fort  Pitt,  not  being  able  to  reveal 
his  real  objective,  he  found  considerable  opposition  to  his  plans.  He 
was  told  that  it  would  be  far  better  to  transport  the  people  of  Ken- 
tucky over  the  mountains  into  Virginia  than  to  attempt  to  defend 
them  in  their  scattered  homes.  Again  there  was  opposition  to  his 
expedition  because  it  was  threatening  to  take  men  from  the  Atlantic 
coast,  who  ought  to  be  available  for  the  greater  conflict  then  waging 
on  that  side. 

On  May  12,  1778,  Clark  left  Brownsville,  Pennsylvania,  on  the 
Monongahela,  and  in  ordinary  flat  boats  with  a  few  men  floated  past 
Fort  Pitt  and  on  past  Wheeling.-  At  both  places  he  took  on  sup- 
plies. Early  in  June  the  little  party  arrived  at  the  "Falls  of  the 
Ohio."  Here  where  the  present  site  of  Louisville,  Kentucky,  stands,  on 
Corn  Island,  he  constructed  a  temporary  fort  and  the  better  to  cover 
his  designs  planted  a  crop  of  corn.  Here  he  was  joined  by  the  en- 
listments which  had  been  made  throughout  western  Virginia  and 
Kentucky.  Clark  felt  that  he  could  not  longer  keep  his  secret  and 
therefore  revealed  his  true  mission  to  the  officers  and  men.  There 
were  some  desertions,  but  out  of  those  left  Clark  organized  four  com- 
panies of  about  fifty  men  each. 

On  the  24th  of  June,  1778,  Clark  left  his  encampment  on  Corn 
Island  for  his  final  journey  down  the  Ohio.  About  twenty  families 
were  left  on  Corn  Island.  These  had  accompanied  Clark  from  the 
vicinity  of  Pittsburg.  They  remained  on  the  island  and  guarded 
some  supplies  which  Clark  left  at  that  place.  Just  before  starting 
down  the  river,  Gen.  Clark  received  a  letter  from  Colonel  John  Camp- 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


83 


bell  of  Fort  Pitt  notifying  him  of  the  alliance  that  had  been  recently 
formed  between  France  and  the  United  States.  The  statement  is 
made  that  the  expedition  "shot  the  falls"  during  an  eclipse  of  the 
sun.  Near  the  mouth  of  the  Tennessee  Gen.  Clark  captured  some 
hunters,  one  of  whom  was  John  Duff.  These  hunters  had  lately  been 
to  Kaskaskia  and  could  give  Clark  just  the  information  that  he 
wanted.  They  were  induced  to  accompany  the  expedition  down  the 
river. 

Ten  miles  below  the  mouth  of  the  Tennessee  river,  on  the  north 
side  of  the  Ohio,  stands  the  remains  of  Old  Fort  Massac.     In  1778 


- 


GENERAL  GEORGE  ROGERS  CLARK 

the  fort  was  probably  in  good  repair  but  not  occupied.  Here  Clark 
disembarked.  He  hid  his  boats  in  the  mouth  of  a  small  stream  which 
enters  the  Ohio  from  Massac  county  a  short  distance  above  the  fort. 
The  expedition  now  made  preparation  to  march  overland  to  Kas- 
kaskia. Four  days'  rations  were  provided  as  it  was  thought  the 
trip  could  be  made  within  that  time,  the  distance  being  about  ninety 
miles. 


ACROSS  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS — CAPTURE  OF  KASKASKIA 

There  is  considerable  local  interest  as  to  the  route  Clark  took 
from  Fort  Massac  to  Kaskaskia.  The  distance  on  a  straight  line  is 
less  than  one  hundred  miles.  But  by  any  route  which  Clark  could 


84  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

have  taken  the  distance  was  not  less  than  one  hundred  and  ten  or 
one  hundred  and  twenty  miles. 

There  can  be  little  doubt  that  the  hunters  whom  Clark  captured 
near  the  mouth  of  the  Tennessee  river,  knew  the  different  trails 
which  led  from  Fort  Massac  and  Golconda  and  the  mouth  of  the  Wa- 
bash,  to  Kaskaskia.  There  were  two  routes  from  Fort  Massac  to  the 
prairies  of  Williamson  county.  One  led  from  Fort  Massac  a  little  to 
the  east  of  north  until  it  came  into  the  Golconda-Kaskaskia  route 
somewhere  west  of  the  town  of  Golconda.  This  route  after  joining 
the  Golconda  route  turned  westward,  passed  near  Allen's  Springs 
postoffice  and  near  Dixon's  Springs,  thence  northwest  near  "Mill 
Stone  Knob,"  through  the  Ozarks  by  way  of  Moccasin  Gap,  through 
the  old  village  of  Reynoldsburg,  on  near  the  crossing  of  the  Paducah 
branch  of  the  Illinois  Central  and  the  Big  Four  at  Parker  City,  near 
the  city  of  Marion  and  on  to  the  village  of  Bainbridge. 

The  second  route  went  northwest  from  Fort  Massac,  keeping  be- 
tween the  ponds  and  swamps  which  drain  into  Big  Bay  creek  on  the 
right  and  those  which  border  the  Cache  river  on  the  left.  This  route 
passed  out  of  Massac  county  at  the  extreme  northwestern  corner,  in 
Sec.  5,  Town  14  S.,  R.  3  E.  It  passed  near  the  Forman  postoffice  and 
probably  led  over  the  hill  upon  which  Indian  Point  is  situated  (An 
old  road  long  since  abandoned  can  be  seen  here).  From  Indian  Point 
the  route  ran  about  two  miles  west  of  Vienna,  Johnson  county,  a 
couple  of  miles  east  of  the  thriving  village  of  Buncombe,  thence  over 
the  Ozarks  through  Buffalo  Gap  which  is  at  least  one  hundred  and 
fifty  feet  lower  than  the  rest  of  the  Ozarks,  on  through  Goreville 
leaving  Marion  to  the  right  and  joining  the  Golconda  route  at  Bain- 
bridge  three  and  one-half  miles  west  of  Marion,  Williamson  county. 

Clark's  memoirs  state  that  the  third  day  from  Fort  Massac  the 
guides  got  lost  and  there  were  some  who  thought  they  had  turned 
traitor  to  their  trust.  Clark  told  the  principal  guide,  one  John 
Saunders,  that  if  he  did  not  find  the  "Hunter's  Road"  which  led  into 
Kaskaskia  from  the  east  that  he  would  have  him  put  to  death.  This 
probably  meant  that  Clark  knew  he  was  far  enough  to  strike  the  Gol- 
conda trail.  This  could  not  have  been  in  Pope  county  for  that  junc- 
tion was  only  fifteen  miles  east  of  north  of  Fort  Massac.  So  the  ar- 
gument is  quite  conclusive  that  Clark  went  by  way  of  Indian  Point 
and  Buffalo  Gap  and  that  he  knew  they  ought  to  reach  the  Golconda 
road  at  the  end  of  the  third  day.  The  guide  found  the  road  and  the 
army  was  probably  soon  encamped  the  third  night  out,  near  the  town 
of  Bainbridge.  The  first  night  the  camping  ground  was  probably 
on  Indian  Point,  eighteen  miles  from  Fort  Massac.  The  second 
night's  camp  was  at  a  spring  two  miles  north  of  Pulley's  Mill,  and 
twenty  miles  north  of  Indian  Point.  The  third  day,  owing  to  getting 
lost  they  did  not  make  more  than  twelve  miles  of  progress. 

On  the  fourth  day  the  little  army  moved  west  and  a  little  north 
and  crossed  Crab  Orchard  creek  northeast  of  Carbondale  three  miles. 
Big  Muddy  was  crossed  at  the  northwest  corner  of  Town  9  S.  R.  1  W. 
—four  miles  due  east  of  Murphysboro.  From  the  crossing  of  Big 
Muddy  to  Ava,  thence  to  Campbell  Hill  in  the  northwest  corner  of 
Jackson  county.  From  here  by  Shiloh  Hill,  and  Wine  Hill,  crossing 
St.  Mary's  river  at  Bremen  Station,  all  in  Randolph.  The  fourth 
night  out  they  probably  camped  at  six  or  eight  miles  northwest  of 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  85 

Murphysboro,  and  the  fifth  night  at  St.  Mary's  river.  The  next  day, 
which  was  the  4th  of  July,  is  their  sixth  day  out.  They  reached  the 
outskirts  of  Kaskaskia  early  in  the  evening. 

As  soon  as  night  came  on  the  army  moved  west  and  reached  the 
Kaskaskia  river  about  a  mile  above  the  town.  On  the  east  side  of 
the  river  they  found  a  farm  house  in  which  was  a  large  family,  who 
were  made  prisoners.  Prom  this  family  it  was  learned  that  the  mili- 
tia had  been  called  out  the  day  before  but  finding  no  cause  for  alarm, 
they  had  dispersed.  Boats  were  secured  and  the  army  rowed  to  the 
west  side  of  the  Kaskaskia.  Clark  says  this  took  two  hours. 

It  was  now  probably  as  late  as  ten  or  eleven  o'clock  in  the  night. 
Clark  now  divided  his  army  into  two  divisions,  one  of  which  was  to 
scatter  throughout  the  town  and  keep  the  people  in  their  houses,  and 
the  other,  which  Clark  himself  commanded,  was  to  capture  the  fort 
in  which  the  commander,  Chevalier  de  Rocheblave,  was  asleep.  In 
a  very  short  time  the  task  was  finished  and  the  people  disarmed. 
The  soldiers  were  instructed  to  pass  up  and  down  the  streets,  and 
those  who  could  speak  French  were  to  inform  the  inhabitants  to  re- 
main within  their  houses.  The  Virginians  and  Kentuckians  were  in 
the  meantime  keeping  up  an  unearthly  yelling,  for  the  people  of  Kas- 
kaskia had  understood  that  Virginians  were  more  savage  than  the 
Indians  had  ever  been,  and  Clark  was  desirous  that  they  should 
retain  this  impression.  The  French  of  Kaskaskia  called  the  Virgin- 
ians "Long  Knives." 

On  the  morning  of  the  5th,  the  principal  citizens  were  put  in 
irons.  Shortly  after  this  Father  Gibault  and  a  few  aged  men  came  to 
Clark  and  begged  the  privilege  of  holding  services  in  the  church,  that 
they  might  bid  one  another  goodbye  before  they  were  separated. 
Clark  gave  his  permission  in  a  very  crabbed  way.  The  church  bell 
rang  out  over  the  quiet  but  sad  village  and  immediately  every  one 
who  could  get  to  church  did  so.  At  the  close  of  the  service  Father 
Gibault  came  again  with  some  old  men  to  beg  that  families  might  not 
be  separated  and  that  they  might  be  privileged  to  take  some  of  their 
personal  effects  with  them  for  their  support.  Clark  then  explained 
to  the  priest  that  Americans  did  not  make  war  on  women  and  chil- 
dren, but  that  it  was  only  to  protect  their  own  wives  and  children 
that  they  had  come  to  this  stronghold  of  British  and  Indian  bar- 
barity. He  went  further  and  told  them  that  the  French  king  and  the 
Americans  had  just  made  a  treaty  of  alliance  and  that  it  was  the  de- 
sire of  their  French  father  that  they  should  join  their  interests  with 
the  Americans.  This  had  a  wonderfully  conciliatory  effect  upon  the 
French.  And  now  Clark  told  them  they  were  at  perfect  liberty  to 
conduct  themselves  as  usual.  His  influence  had  been  so  powerful 
that  they  were  all  induced  to  take  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  state 
of  Virginia.  Their  arms  were  given  back  to  them  and  a  volunteer 
company  of  French  militiamen  was  formed. 

Kaskaskia  was  captured  on  July  4,  1778.  On  the  morning  of  the 
5th  occurred  the  incident  previously  referred  to  relative  to  the  conduct 
of  the  priest,  etc.  Evidently  very  early  in  the  day  quiet  was  restored 
and  better  relations  were  established  between  captors  and  captives. 
The  treaty  of  alliance  between  France  and  the  United  States  was  ex- 
plained, and  immediately  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  Virginia  was  taken 
by  the  people.  On  the  same  5th  of  July  an  expedition  was  planned 


86  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

for  the  capture  of  Cahokia.  Captain  Bowman  with  his  company,  or 
probably  a  portion  of  it,  and  a  detachment  of  the  French  militia  under 
French  officers,  together  with  a  number  of  Kaskaskia  citizens  made  up 
the  army.  Reynolds  says  they  rode  French  ponies.  The  distance  was 
sixty  miles  and  the  trip  was  made  by  the  afternoon  of  the  6th.  At 
first  the  people  of  Cahokia  were  greatly  agitated  and  cried  "Long 
Knives!"  "Long  Knives!"  But  the  Kaskaskia  citizens  soon  quieted 
them  and  explained  what  had  happened  at  Kaskaskia  only  two  days 
before.  The  fort  at  Cahokia  may  have  contained  a  few  British  soldiers 
or  some  French  militia.  In  either  case  they  quietly  surrendered.  The 
oath  of  allegiance  was  administered  to  the  people  and  the  citizens  re- 
turned to  Kaskaskia. 

For  the  first  few  days  of  Clark's  stay  in  Kaskaskia  he  and  his  men 
talked  about  the  fort  at  the  falls  of  the  Ohio  and  of  a  detachment  of 
soldiers  they  were  expecting  from  there  every  day.  This  was  done  for 
the  purpose  of  making  an  impression  upon  the  people  of  Kaskaskia. 
Clark  was  a  shrewd  diplomatist  as  well  as  a  good  soldier,  and  he  sus- 
pected that  Father  Gibault  was  at  heart  on  the  side  of  the  Americans. 
By  conversation  Clark  learned  that  the  priest  was  the  regular  shepherd 
of  the  flock  at  Vincennes,  and  evidently  had  very  great  influence  with 
the  people  there.  Clark  therefore  talked  of  his  expedition  against  Vin- 
cennes from  the  fort  at  the  falls  of  the  Ohio.  Father  Gibault  then 
told  Clark  that  while  the  post  at  Vincennes  was  a  very  strong  one  and 
that  there  were  usually  many  Indians  about  that  place,  that  just  at 
this  time,  the  lieutenant  governor  or  commandant,  Edward  Abbot,  was 
not  at  Vincennes  but  was  in  Detroit.  He  also  told  Clark  that  there 
were  no  soldiers  there  except  probably  a  few  citizen-officers  and  that 
he  had  no  doubt  if  the  people  there  knew  the  real  nature  of  the  conflict 
between  England  and  the  colonies,  and  that  France  had  joined  against 
the  hated  British,  there  would  be  no  opposition  to  Clark  and  his  pur- 
poses. The  priest  further  suggested  that  he  himself  would  head  an 
embassy  to  Post  Vincennes  for  the  purpose  of  attempting  to  secure  the 
allegiance  of  the  people  there  to  the  American  cause. 

This  was  the  most  cheering  word  that  had  come  to  Clark  in  all  his 
first  days  at  Kaskaskia.  An  expedition  was  immediately  planned.  The 
priest  should  be  accompanied  by  a  citizen  of  Kaskaskia,  Doctor  John 
Baptiste  Lafont.  The  two  gentlemen  were  accompanied  by  several  at- 
tendants, among  whom  was  a  spy  who  had  secret  instructions  from 
Clark. 

They  departed  the  14th  of  July,  and  reached  Vincennes  safely.  The 
priest  had  no  difficulty  in  making  it  clear  to  the  people  that  France 
was  on  the  side  of  the  Americans.  The  commander,  Governor  Abbot, 
had  recently  gone  to  Detroit  and  there  was  no  one  in  military  com- 
mand. They  all  took  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  Virginia.  They  also 
organized  a  militia  company  and  took  possession  of  the  fort,  over  which 
the  flag  of  Virginia  floated,  much  to  the  wonder  of  the  Indians.  The 
Indians  were  told  that  the  old  French  king,  their  father,  had  come  to 
life,  and  if  they  did  not  want  the  land  to  be  bloody  with  war  they  must 
make  peace  with  the  Americans. 

On  August  1,  Father  Gibault  and  his  companions  returned  to  Kas- 
kaskia and  reported  the  success  of  their  mission. 

Clark  was  busy  just  then  reorganizing  his  little  army.  The  term 
of  enlistment  of  the  soldiers  was  drawing  to  a  close,  and  hz  saw  that 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  87 

unless  he  could  re-enlist  his  men,  all  the  good  that  had  been  accom- 
plished would  go  for  naught.  Clark  succeeded  in  re-enlisting  about  a 
hundred  of  his  little  army  while  the  rest  were  to  be  mustered  out  at 
the  falls  of  the  Ohio,  their  places  being  filled  with  enlistments  from 
the  French  militia.  Captain  Bowman  was  made  military  commandant 
at  Cahokia,  Captain  Williams  had  charge  at  Kaskaskia,  Captain  Helm 
was  sent  to  Vincennes  to  take  charge  and  Captain  Linn  was  sent  with 
the  soldiers  who  did  not  re-enlist  to  the  falls  of  the  Ohio,  while  Cap- 
tain Montgomery  was  sent  with  Chevalier  de  Rocheblave  and  dispatches, 
to  Williamsburg.  It  had  been  Colonel  Clark's  intention  to  treat  with 
great  consideration  his  distinguished  captive,  but  M.  Rocheblave  be- 
haved so  rudely  that  he  was  sent  a  prisoner  to  Virginia,  his  slaves  were 
confiscated  and  sold  for  500  pounds  sterling  and  the  money  distributed 
among  the  soldiers. 

Colonel  Clark  by  early  fall  restored  order  and  obedience  in  all  the 
Illinois  country.  He  soon  found  the  need  of  civil  courts.  The  courts 
established  by  Wilkins  under  the  British  occupation  had  gone  into 
"innocuous  desuetude."  Rocheblave  had  given  little  if  any  attention 
to  civil  administration.  Colonel  Clark  made  inquiry  as  to  the  customs 
and  usages  of  the  people  and  decided  to  organize  courts  for  the  adjust- 
ment of  claims  and  disputes.  Accordingly  Captain  Bowman  held  an 
election  in  Cahokia  at  which  the  citizens  voted  and  elected  judges,  one 
of  which  was  Captain  Bowman.  Later,  judges  were  elected  at  Kas- 
kaskia and  at  Vincennes.  Colonel  Clark  himself  constituted  the  appel- 
late court,  and  from  a  letter  afterward  written  to  Jefferson  he  must 
have  been  quite  busy  in  this  line  of  work  for  he  says,  referring  to  this 
matter  of  being  relieved  from  civil  duties,  "the  civil  department  of  the 
Illinois  had  heretofore  robbed  me  of  too  much  of  my  time  that  ought 
to  be  spent  in  military  reflection.  I  was  now  likely  to  be  relieved  by 
Col.  John  Todd.  I  was  anxious  for  his  arrival  and  happy  in  his  ap- 
pointment, as  the  greatest  intimacy  and  friendship  has  subsisted  between 
us.  I  now  saw  myself  rid  of  a  piece  of  trouble  that  I  had  no  delight  in. ' ' 

This  extract  is  from  a  letter  written  by  Clark  to  Jefferson  when  he 
heard  that  Col.  John  Todd  had  been  selected  to  administer  civil  gov- 
ernment in  the  Illinois  country. 

COUNTY  OF  ILLINOIS 

The  people  of  Virginia  were  soon  aware  of  the  success  of  the  Clark 
expedition.  The  common  people  were  of  course  greatly  surprised,  and 
the  officials  who  had  stood  back  of  the  enterprise  were  greatly  relieved 
and  delighted.  The  legislature  in  session  in  October  took  steps  to  extend 
civil  government  over  the  newly  conquered  country. 

In  October,  1778,  the  legislature  of  Virginia  took  the  following  ac- 
tion creating  the  county  of  Illinois : 

All  the  citizens  of  the  commonwealth  of  Virginia  who  are  already 
settled  or  shall  hereafter  settle  on  the  western  side  of  the  Ohio  shall 
be  included  in  a  distinct  county,  which  shall  be  called  Illinois  county; 
and  the  governor  of  this  commonwealth  with  the  advice  of  the  council 
may  appoint  a  county  lieutenant  or  commander-in-chief,  during  pleas- 
ure, who  shall  appoint  and  commission  as  many  deputy  commandants, 
militia  officers,  and  commissaries,  as  he  shall  think  proper  in  the  differ- 
ent districts,  during  pleasure ;  all  of  whom,  before  they  enter  into  office 


88  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

shall  take  the  oath  of  fidelity  to  this  commonwealth  and  the  oath  of 
office,  according  to  the  form  of  their  own  religion. 

And  all  civil  officers  to  which  the  inhabitants  have  been  accustomed 
necessary  for  the  preservation  of  the  peace,  and  the  administration  of 
justice,  shall  be  chosen  by  a  majority  of  the  citizens  in  their  respective 
districts  to  be  convened  for  that  purpose  by  the  county  lieutenant  or 
commandant,  or  his  deputy,  and  shall  be  commissioned  by  the  said 
county  lieutenant  or  commander-in-chief. 

The  "house  of  delegates"  which  was  the  lower  branch  of  the  legis- 
lature shortly  after  the  creation  of  the  county  of  Illinois  took  the 
following  action: 

IN  THE  HOUSE  OF  DELEGATES 

Monday,  the  23d  Nov.,  1778. 

Whereas,  authentic  information  has  been  received  that  Lieutenant 
Colonel  George  Rogers  Clark,  with  a  body  of  Virginia  militia,  has  re- 
duced the  British  posts  in  the  western  part  of  this  commonwealth  on 
the  river  Mississippi  and  its  branches,  whereby  great  advantage  may 
accrue  to  the  common  cause  of  America,  as  well  as  to  this  commonwealth 
in  particular: 

Resolved,  That  the  thanks  of  this  house  are  justly  due  to  the  said 
Colonel  Clark  and  the  brave  officers  and  men  under  his  command,  for 
their  extraordinary  resolution  and  perseverance  in  so  hazardous  an 
enterprise,  and  for  their  important  services  to  their  country. 

E.  RANDOLPH, 

Attest:  C.  H.  D. 

In  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  the  law  creating  the  county  of 
Illinois  west  of  the  Ohio  river,  the  governor  of  Virginia,  Patrick  Henry, 
appointed  John  Todd,  Esq.,  a  judge  of  the  Kentucky  court,  as  county 
lieutenant  or  commander-in-chief  of  the  newly  created  county.  We 
shall  hear  more  of  John  Todd  and  his  work  later. 

Colonel  Clark  in  the  month  of  September  was  busy  making  treaties 
with  the  Indians.  He  met  them  in  council  at  Cahokia.  Treaties  were 
made  with  the  Piankeshaws,  Ouiatenons,  Kickapoos,  Illinois,  Kaskas- 
kias,  Peorias,  and  probably  others. 

Captain  Helm  took  possession  of  Vincennes  about  the  middle  of 
August.  By  the  middle  of  November  or  earlier,  word  had  reached 
Detroit  that  Captain  Helm  was  in  possession  of  the  fort  at  Vincennes. 
An  expedition  was  planned  under  the  command  of  Lieutenant  Governor 
Henry  Hamilton,  to  retake  the  fort.  He  must  have  started  from  De- 
troit by  the  earlier  part  of  November,  for  on  the  4th  of  December,  he 
had  reached  Fort  Ouiatenon.  From  here  he  writes  to  General  Haldi- 
man,  the  governor  of  Canada.  Hamilton  says  he  has  about  200  Indians 
with  him  and  hopes  no  more  will  join  him.  He  was  then  on  his  way 
to  capture  Vincennes,  which  he  says  he  has  heard  is  quite  short  of 
provisions.  He  reached  Vincennes  December  18,  1778. 

The  capture  of  Vincennes  by  Hamilton  is  so  full  of  the  humorous 
side  of  war  that  it  will  bear  repeating.  When  Captain  Helm  was  sent 
by  Clark  to  take  command  at  Vincennes  he  relied  upon  the  fidelity  of 
the  militia  of  the  village  for  assistance  in  case  of  an  attack.  When 
he  heard  of  the  approach  of  Hamilton  he  fired  the  signal  for  the  assem- 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  89 

bling  of  the  militia,  but  very  few  came,  and  these  deserted  when  Ham- 
ilton's army  came  in  sight.  There  were  left  in  the  fort  (Fort  Sack- 
ville)  only  two  men,  Captain  Helm  and  an  American  by  the  name  of 
Henry.  Helm  and  Henry  planted  a  cannon  heavily  loaded  in  the  gate- 
way of  the  fort  and  awaited  Hamilton's  coming.  Hamilton  asked  for 
a  consultation  which  resulted  in  Helm's  surrender  of  the  fort  provided 
his  army  should  be  permitted  to  march  out  with  the  honors  of  war. 
This  was  granted  and  Hamilton's  army  of  thirty  British  regulars,  fifty 
Canadians,  and  four  hundred  Indians,  was  drawn  up  in  line  to  receive 
the  surrendered  army  with  the  courtesies  of  military  regulations.  When 
everything  was  in  readiness,  Captain  Helm  and  private  Henry,  with 
drawn  sword  and  flag  flying  came  marching  out  and  formally  surren- 
dered Fort  Sackville,  its  brave  defenders,  and  its  munitions  of  war. 
Captain  Helm  and  Henry  were  held  prisoners  of  war  in  Fort  Sackville. 

Word  soon  reached  Colonel  Clark  of  the  loss  of  Vincennes,  and  he 
now  felt  himself  in  a  very  perilous  situation.  Vincennes  was  lost,  Vir- 
ginia had  not  sent  him  a  dollar  with  which  to  purchase  supplies,  the 
money  he  had  was  of  no  value,  the  Indians  from  the  Canadian  border 
were  making  their  appearance  around  Cahokia  and  Kaskaskia,  and  dis- 
couragement stared  him  in  the  face. 

In  this  extremity  a  real  patriot  came  upon  the  scene.  This  man 
was  Colonel  Francis  Vigo,  a  native  of  Mongovia,  Sardinia.  He  had 
served  in  the  Spanish  army  but  was  now  a  rich  merchant  of  St.  Louis. 
He  sympathized  with  the  American  cause  and  was  so  deeply  interested 
in  Clark  that  he  supplied  his  army  with  clothing  and  provision  to  the 
extent  of  above  $20,000,  which  was  never  repaid  during  Colonel  Vigo's 
lifetime. 

Colonel  Vigo  proffered  his  services  to  Colonel  Clark.  Clark  sent 
him  over  to  Vincennes  to  see  what  the  situation  was.  He  was  captured 
and  would  have  been  severely  punished  by  Hamilton  if  it  had  not  been 
for  fear  of  the  French,  Indians,  and  Spanish,  all  of  whom  were  great 
friends  to  Vigo.  He  was  released  and  returned  to  St.  Louis,  and  imme- 
diately came  to  Kaskaskia  to  inform  Colonel  Clark  of  the  true  situation. 
This  was  that  Hamilton  had  a  strong  detachment  of  soldiers  at  Fort 
Sackville  with  cannon  and  plenty  of  munitions  of  war.  Vigo  also  re- 
ported that  the  French  inhabitants  were  quite  favorable  to  the  Amer- 
ican cause  and  would  render  any  assistance  they  could.  And  again 
Vigo  reported  that  just  as  soon  as  the  spring  season  opened  that  Col- 
onel Hamilton  was  intending  to  attack  Colonel  Clark  at  Kaskaskia. 

A  conference  was  called  of  all  the  officers  then  around  Kaskaskia. 
Captain  Bowman  came  from  Cahokia  with  his  small  force  of  soldiers 
and  the  first  impulse  was  to  get  ready  for  a  siege  if  Colonel  Hamilton 
should  attack.  This  plan  was  finally  abandoned,  for  Colonel  Clark 
said — "If  I  do  not  take  Hamilton  he  will  take  me." 


CHAPTER  VIII 
ILLINOIS  COUNTY  AND  THE  NORTHWEST  TERRITORY 

THE  ROUTE  TO  VINCENNES — CAPTURE  OF  VINCENNES — COMING  OP  JOHN 
TODD — VIRGINIA  CEDES  HER  WESTERN  LANDS — ORDINANCE  OF  1787 
PASSED — GOVERNMENT  ORGANIZED — CONDITIONS  IN  ILLINOIS — LOCAL 
GOVERNMENT. 

Vigo  reported  to  Colonel  Clark  on  the  29th  of  January,  and  with 
such  dispatch  did  Clark  make  preparation  for  his  expedition  that  he 
was  ready  to  move  by  the  6th  of  February,  1779.  Everything  in  the 
village  of  Kaskaskia  was  activity.  "The  whole  country  took  fire  with 
alarm;  and  every  order  was  executed  with  cheerfulness  by  every  de- 
scription of  the  inhabitants — preparing  provisions,  encouraging  vol- 
unteers, etc.,  and  as  we  had  plenty  of  stores,  every  man  was  com- 
pletely rigged  with  what  he  could  desire  to  withstand  the  cold 
weather.  To  convey  our  artillery  and  stores,  it  was  concluded  to 
send  a  vessel  round  by  water,  so  strong  that  she  might  force  her  way. 
A  large  Mississippi  (keel)  boat  was  immediately  purchased,  and  com- 
pletely fitted  out  as  a  galley,  mounting  two  four-pounders  and  four 
large  swivels.  She  was  manned  by  forty-six  men  under  command  of 
Capt.  John  Rogers."  The  vessel  was  called  "The  Willing."  This 
vessel  was  to  sail  down  the  Mississippi,  up  the  Ohio,  and  thence  up 
the  Wabash  as  far  as  the  mouth  of  the  White  river  and  there  wait  for 
word  from  the  overland  expedition.  The  vessel  moved  down  the 
Kaskaskia  and  out  into  the  broad  Mississippi  on  the  4th  of  February, 
1779,  while  the  land  forces  moved  the  7th. 

The  little  army,  consisted  of  one  hundred  and  seventy  men.  One 
company  of  French  militiamen  from  Cahokia  was  in  charge  of  Cap- 
tain McCarty.  Another  French  company  from  Kaskaskia  was  com- 
manded by  Captain  Charleville.  Captains  Bowman,  Williams,  and 
Worthington  commanded  the  Virginians.  The  route  they  took  is 
said  to  have  been  the  old  trail  from  Kaskaskia  to  Vincennes.  Rey- 
nolds says  it  was  laid  out  by  the  Indians  nearly  a  hundred  years  be- 
fore Clark  made  use  of  it. 

THE  ROUTE  TO  VINCENNES 

The  route  as  laid  down  in  volume  8  of  "Historic  Highways"  starts 
from  Kaskaskia  and  goes  northeast  to  Diamond  Point  some  fo\ir  or 
five  miles  from  Kaskaskia.  Here  they  may  have  halted  a  day  or  so. 
From  Diamond  Point  the  route  ran  northeasterly  to  Sparta  in  Ran- 
dolph county.  Thence  to  the  southeast  of  Coulterville  about  a  mile, 

90 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


91 


thence  to  Nashville  in  Washington  county  in  nearly  a  direct  line. 
From  here  the  trail  ran  easterly  and  crossed  the  Illinois  Central 
within  a  mile  north  of  Richview.  The  corner  of  Jefferson  was  crossed 
and  Walnut  Hill  in  the  southwestern  corner  of  Marion  was  passed. 
From  Walnut  Hill  in  a  nearly  straight  line  to  Xenia,  Clay  county. 

From  here  the  route  follows  almost  exactly  the  Baltimore  and 
Ohio  Southwestern  Railroad  to  Lawrenceville,  leaving  Olney  to  the 
north  probably  two  miles.  From  Lawrenceville  the  army  turned 
south  and  followed  the  Embarras  river  on  the  southwest  side,  cross- 
ing the  Wabash  about  two  miles  south  of  St.  Francisville.  From  here 


MAP  OF  CLARK'S  ROUTE  FROM  FORT  MASSAC  TO  KASKASKIA  AND  FROM 
KASKASKIA  TO  VINCENNES 

the  route  went  east  bearing  toward  the  north  till  they  reached  Chim- 
ney Rock  or  what  Clark  called  the  Second  Mamelle,  now  called 
Chimney  Pier.  From  here  nearly  due  north  to  the  village  of  Vin- 
cennes.  (See  map  of  Clark's  routes.) 

The  story  of  the  hardships,  and  the  extreme  suffering  from  cold 
and  hunger  which  this  little  army  endured,  will  ever  be  a  tale  with 
which  to  stir  the  patriotic  blood  of  all  loyal  Illinoisians.  Probably 
nothing  more  than  the  hardships  incident  to  any  military  campaign- 
ing was  experienced  until  they  reached  the  Little  Wabash  February 
13.  Here  they  had  to  build  a  boat  in  which  they  ferried  their  bag- 
gage, ammunition  and  men.  The  Little  Wabash  was  crossed  at  a 
point  some  three  and  one-half  miles  above  the  union  of  that  stream 
and  what  is  called  Big  Muddy  creek.  Big  Muddy  runs  toward  the 
south  and  nearly  parallel  with  the  Little  Wabash.  The  space  be- 
tween was  three  miles  wide.  This  is  low  land  and  is  often  over 
flowed.  At  this  time  the  two  streams  had  formed  one  great  wide  flood 


92  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

too  deep  to  be  waded.  A  platform  was  built  in  three  feet  of  water, 
and  the  packhorses  were  brought  to  this  platform  where  their  bur- 
dens were  transferred  to  the  boat.  A  similar  platform  was  built  on 
the  opposite  shore  three  miles  away  where  the  boat  unloaded  its 
cargo.  The  shallow  water  from  each  edge  of  the  flood  to  the  plat- 
forms was  nearly  a  mile  wide  which  made  the  entire  flood  five  miles. 

When  they  reached  the  opposite  shore  they  were  ordered  to  lire 
no  more  guns  for  fear  of  revealing  their  coming  to  the  British.  They 
were  now  forty  miles  almost  due  west  of  Vincennes.  Clark  writes 
of  the  crossing  of  the  two  streams  as  follows : 

This  (flood)  would  have  been  enough  to  have  stopped  any  set  of 
men  not  in  the  same  temper  that  we  were.  But  in  three  days  we  con- 
trived to  cross  by  building  a  large  canoe,  ferried  across  the  two  chan- 
nels; the  rest  of  the  way  we  waded  building  scaffolds  at  each  side  to 
lodge  our  baggage  on  until  the  horses  crossed  to  take  them. 

On  the  16th  of  February  the  army  crossed  Fox  river  which  runs 
southward  just  a  mile  or  so  west  of  Olney. 

They  pushed  forward  through  rain  and  mud  and  reached  the  Em- 
barras  river  in  the  afternoon  of  the  17th.  Here  they  were  within 
about  eight  or  nine  miles  of  Vincennes  but  all  the  lowland  between 
the  Embarras  river  and  the  Wabash  was  flooded  and  no  boats  could 
be  found  in  which  to  cross.  Here  the  army  turned  south  and  traveled 
along  the  west  side  of  the  Embarras  hunting  a  dry  spot  on  which  to 
camp.  Captain  Bowman  says  they  "traveled  till  8  o'clock  in  mud 
and  water"  before  a  camping  spot  could  be  found.  "18th— At  day- 
break heard  Hamilton's  morning  gun.  (They  were  then  ten  miles 
southwest  of  Vincennes.)  Set  off  and  marched  down  the  river  (Em- 
barras), saw  some  fine  land.  About  two  o'clock  came  to  the  bank  of 
the  Wabash." 

Here  they  spent  the  next  three  days,  building  rafts,  digging 
canoes,  and  trying  to  cross  the  Wabash.  The  food  was  all  gone.  Ma- 
jor Bowman's  journal  says  on  the  19th — "Many  of  the  men  cast 
down — particularly  the  volunteers.  No  provisions  now  of  any  sort, 
two  days,  hard  fortune."  On  the  20th,  they  captured  five  French- 
men from  Vincennes  who  said  that  Hamilton  was  ignorant  of  Clark's 
presence  on  the  Wabash.  They  killed  a  deer  on  this  day.  On  the 
21st  the  army  was  ferried  over  by  the  aid  of  two  canoes.  They  landed 
on  the  east  side  of  the  Wabash  and  rested  on  a  little  knob  called  "The 
Mamelle."  From  here  they  plunged  into  the  water  and  made  toward 
the  next  "Mamelle"  about  three  miles  eastward.  Here  the  little 
army  stayed  over  night  and  on  the  morning  of  the  22nd  of  February, 
they  moved  northward  through  water  to  their  waists  and  even  to 
their  shoulders.  In  addition  to  the  deep  water  Clark  says  the  morn- 
ing of  the  22nd  was  the  coldest  they  had  had  and  that  the  ice  was 
over  the  water  from  half  to  three-quarters  of  an  inch.  From  the  sec- 
ond "Mamelle"  to  the  next  dry  ground  was  about  one  and  a  half 
miles.  Clark  says — "Getting  about  the  middle  of  the  plain,  the  water 
about  mid-deep,  I  found  myself  sensibly  failing,  and  as  there  were 
no  trees  nor  bushes  for  the  men  to  support  themselves  by,  I  feared 
that  many  of  the  most  weak  would  be  drowned.  .  .  .  Getting  to 
the  woods  where  the  men  expected  land,  the  water  was  up  to  my 
shoulders,  but  gaining  the  woods  was  of  great  consequence;  all  the 
low  men  and  the  weakly  hung  to  the  trees,  and  floated  on  old  logs. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  93 

until  they  were  taken  off  by  the  canoes.  The  strong  and  tall  got 
ashore  and  built  fires.  Many  would  reach  the  shore  and  fall  with 
their  bodies  half  in  the  water  not  being  able  to  support  themselves 
without  it."  Providentially  an  Indian  canoe  with  squaws  and  chil- 
dren was  captured.  In  this  canoe  was  half  a  quarter  of  buffalo  meat, 
some  corn,  tallow,  kettles,  etc.  Those  were  confiscated,  the  food  pre- 
pared, and  served  to  the  weakest  ones,  though  there  was  a  little  broth 
for  all.  This  meal  and  the  sunshiny  weather  greatly  strengthened 
the  troops  and  they  took  up  their  march  in  the  afternoon  of  the  22nd, 
for  the  town  and  fort  then  only  about  four  miles  away.  They  reached 
the  town  shortly  after  dark  and  while  the  main  body  of  the  troops 
took  up  their  position  in  the  village,  a  detachment  of  fourteen  men 
under  Lieutenant  Bailey  attacked  the  fort. 

CAPTURE  OP  VINCENNES 

Shortly  after  the  army  came  in  sight  of  the  town,  Colonel  Clark 
issued  a  proclamation  directed  to  the  people  of  the  village  which  was 
intended  as  a  warning  to  those  inhabitants  who  were  in  any  way 
sympathetic  with  the  British  interests.  It  read  as  follows : 

To  the  Inhabitants  of  Post  Vincennes : 

Gentlemen : — Being  now  within  two  miles  of  your  village,  with 
my  army,  determined  to  take  your  fort  this  night,  and  not  being  will- 
ing to  surprise  you,  I  take  this  method  to  request  such  of  you  as  are 
true  citizens  and  willing  to  enjoy  the  liberty  I  bring  you,  to  remain 
still  in  your  houses.  And  those,  if  any  there  be,  that  are  friends  to 
the  king  will  instantly  repair  to  the  fort  arid  join  the  hair-buyer 
general,  and  fight  like  men.  And  if  any  such  as  do  not  go  to  the  fort 
shall  be  discovered  afterwards,  they  may  depend  on  severe  punish- 
ment. On  the  contrary,  those  who  are  true  friends  to  liberty  may 
depend  on  being  well  treated,  and  I  once  more  request  them  to  keep 
out  of  the  streets.  For  every  one  1  find  in  arms  on  my  arrival  I  shall 
treat  him  as  an  enemy. 

G.  R.  Clark. 

The  inhabitants  of  Vincennes,  who  were  at  heart  favorable  to  the 
Virginians,  having  heard  that  their  ammunition — powder,  bullets, 
and  other  munitions — was  to  be  moved  to  Detroit,  buried  it  to  pre- 
vent its  capture  by  the  British.  These  munitions  were  now  given  to 
Clark.  The  bombardment  of  the  fort  was  kept  up  nearly  all  night, 
and  till  9  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  24th.  The  firing  then  ceased 
and  Colonel  Clark  sent  a  note  demanding  the  surrender  of  the  fort. 
To  this  note  Lieutenant  Governor  Hamilton  sent  a  very  short  reply — 
"Governor  Hamilton  begs  leave  to  acquaint  Colonel  Clark,  that  he 
and  his  garrison  are  not  to  be  awed  into  any  action  unworthy  British 
subjects."  The  firing  was  renewed  and  kept  up  vigorously  till  in 
the  afternoon  when  Governor  Hamilton  proposed  a  truce  of  three 
days.  Clark  refused,  but  proposed  to  meet  Governor  Hamilton  at  the 
church  to  consider  any  proposition  he  might  have  to  make.  Hamil- 
ton was  accompanied  by  Lieutenant  Helm  who  had  been  a  British 
prisoner  since  he  and  Moses  Henry  surrendered  the  fort  the  17th  of 
December,  1778.  Hamilton  made  a  proposition  of  surrender  but  Clark 
would  not  accept  it.  A  parley  ensued  in  which  Clark  told  Hamilton 


94  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

that  if  he  had  to  storm  the  fort  he  feared  that  his  men  could  not  be 
restrained  from  deeds  of  violence.  Both  commanders  resumed  their 
places  but  no  firing  occurred.  Later  in  the  afternoon  Colonel  Clark 
made  out  articles  of  capitulation  which  were  satisfactory  to  Hamil- 
ton. And  on  the  25th  of  February  the  fort  was  turned  over  to  the 
victorious  frontiersmen. 

There  were  regular  British  soldiers  in  the  fort  and  large  quanti- 
ties of  stores  said  to  be  worth  fifty  thousand  dollars.  Word  was  re- 
ceived that  a  large  quantity  of  supplies  was  on  the  way  down  the 
Wabash  from  Detroit  destined  for  the  British  garrison.  Clark  dis- 
patched Captain  Helm  to  discover  and  capture  this  merchandise. 
This  he  did  and  returned  in  a  few  days  with  clothing  and  supplies 
valued  at  ten  thousand  pounds  sterling.  Clark's  troops  who  were 
very  greatly  in  need  of  clothing  were  now  abundantly  supplied. 
Colonel  Hamilton  and  a  few  of  the  officers  were  sent  to  Williamsburg 
while  the  soldiers  were  paroled  and  allowed  to  return  to  Detroit. 

Colonel  Clark  desired  very  much  to  attack  Detroit,  but  after  con- 
siderable delay  he  decided  to  return  to  Kaskaskia.  Before  leaving 
Vincennes  he  made  treaties  with  the  neighboring  Indians.  He  ap- 
pointed Captain  Helm  as  civil  commandant.  Lieutenant  Brashear 
was  made  military  commander  at  the  fort,  and  was  given  forty  sol- 
diers for  that  duty.  Colonel  Clark  and  the  remainder  of  his  army 
departed  March  20,  1779,  for  Kaskaskia  on  the  galley  the  "Willing," 
accompanied  by  an  armed  flotilla  of  seven  vessels.  The  trip  down  the 
Wabash  and  Ohio  and  up  the  Mississippi  to  Kaskaskia  was  without 
incident.  Clark  reached  Kaskaskia  about  the  latter  part  of  March. 

Clark  returned  to  Vincennes  in  July  of  the  same  year  expecting  to 
find  troops  from  Kentucky  and  Virginia  for  the  Detroit  expedition.  He 
was  disappointed.  He  attempted  to  recruit  soldiers  for  the  Detroit  cam- 
paign in  the  region  of  the  Ohio  but  a  letter  from  Jefferson  who  was  now 
governor  of  Virginia  requestes  him  to  construct  a  fort  below  the  mouth  of 
the  Ohio.  Accordingly  he  undertook  this  enterprise  and  by  June,  1780, 
Fort  Jefferson,  a  few  miles  below  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio  on  the  Kentucky 
side,  was  completed.  It  is  said  that  some  of  the  cannon  were  removed 
there  from  the  abandoned  fortifications  of  Fort  Chartres.  The  ruins  of 
Fort  Jefferson,  just  below  the  town  of  Wycliffe,  Ky.,  may  be  seen  today. 
In  the  fall  of  1780,  Clark  was  at  Fort  Pitt  trying  to  fit  out  his  expedi- 
tion for  Detroit.  In  January,  1781,  we  find  Colonel  Clark  acting  in 
conjunction  with  Baron  Steuben  in  repelling  the  attacks  of  Benedict 
Arnold  upon  Virginia.  In  December,  1781,  Clark  was  at  the  falls  of 
the  Ohio  with  an  army  of  750  men.  Later  he  was  engaged  in  an 
expedition  against  the  Indians  on  the  Miami  river.  He  never  led  his 
expedition  against  Detroit.  In  the  summer  of  1783,  he  received  the 
following  communication : 

In  council,  July  2,  1783. 

Sir: — The  conclusion  of  the  war,  and  the  distressed  situation  of  the 
state,  with  regard  to  its  finances,  call  on  us  to  adopt  the  most  prudent 
economy.  It  is  for  this  reason  alone,  I  have  come  to  a  determination  to 
give  over  all  thought,  for  the  present,  of  carrying  on  an  offensive  war 
against  the  Indians,  which,  you  will  easily  perceive,  will  render  the  ser- 
vices of  a  general  officer  in  that  quarter  unnecessary,  and  will,  therefore 
consider  yourself  out  of  command.  But.  before  I  take  leave  of  you,  I 
feel  myself  called  upon,  in  the  most  forcible  manner,  to  return  you  my 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  95 

thanks,  and  those  of  my  council,  for  the  very  great  and  singular  service 
you  have  rendered  your  country,  in  wresting  so  great  and  valuable  a 
territory  from  the  hands  of  the  British  enemy ;  repelling  the  attacks  of 
their  savage  allies,  and  carrying  on  a  successful  war  in  the  heart  of  their 
country.  This  tribute  of  praise  and  thanks  so  justly  due,  I  am  happy  to 
communicate  to  you,  as  the  united  voice  of  the  executive. 
I  am,  with  respect,  sir, 

Yours,  etc., 
Benjamin  Harrison. 

Now  that  we  are  about  to  leave  our  hero  for  the  consideration  of 
other  men  and  other  interests,  it  may  be  that  some  will  be  curious  to 
know  what  was  the  end  of  a  man  to  whom  the  United  States  owes  so  much. 
We  quote  from  Brown 's  History  of  Illinois : 

' '  He  was  no  longer  the  same  man  as  the  conqueror  of  Kaskaskia,  and 
the  captor  of  Vincennes.  His  mind  was  wounded  by  the  neglect  of  the 
government  of  Virginia  to  settle  his  accounts.  Private  suits  were  brought 
against  him  for  public  supplies,  which  ultimately  swept  away  his  for- 
tune, and  with  this  injustice  the  spirit  of  the  hero  fell,  and  the  general 
never  recovered  the  energies  which  stamped  him  as  one  of  nature's 
noblemen. ' ' 

He  spent  the  later  years  of  his  life  near  Louisville,  Kentucky.  He 
was  completely  broken  in  his  bodily  frame  as  a  result  of  years  of  hard 
exposure.  Rheumatism  which  ended  with  paralysis  terminated  his  life 
in  1818.  He  was  buried  at  Locust  Grove  near  Louisville. 

COMING  OF  JOHN  TODD 

By  virtue  of  the  authority  of  the  act  of  the  Virginia  legislature  of 
October,  1778,  Patrick  Henry,  governor  of  Virginia,  and  by  virtue  of 
that  position  the  first  governor  of  Illinois,  appointed  Colonel  John  Todd 
lieutenant-commandant  of  the  county  of  Illinois.  Col.  Todd's  com- 
mission bears  date  of  December  12,  1778.  Colonel  Todd  was  at  the  time 
of  his  appointment  as  lieutenant-commandant  of  Illinois  county,  a 
judge  on  the  bench  in  Kentucky. 

Colonel  Todd  did  not  come  to  Illinois  county  till  May,  1779.  Clark 
had  returned  from  his  campaign,  and  capture  of  Vincennes.  It  is  stated 
that  Col.  Todd  was  received  with  great  joy  by  the  citizens  of  Kaskaskia. 
He  was  no  stranger  to  many  about  the  village  for  he  had  come  with  Clark 
in  the  campaign  of  1778,  when  the  Illinois  country  was  captured  from 
the  British.  He  is  said  to  have  been  a  soldier  with  Clark  and  to  have 
been  the  first  to  enter  the  fort  which  Rocheblave  surrendered.  Be  that 
as  it  may,  he  comes  now  with  the  authority  of  the  commonwealth  of  Vir- 
ginia. On  June  15,  1779,  he  issued  a  proclammation  which  provided 
that  no  more  settlements  should  be  made  in  the  bottom  lands,  and  fur- 
ther that  each  person  to  whom  grants  had  been  made  must  report  his 
claim  to  the  proper  officer  and  have  his  land  recorded.  If  his  land  had 
come  to  him  through  transfers,  then  all  such  transfers  must  be  recorded 
and  certified  to.  This  was  done  to  prevent  those  adventurers  who 
would  shortly  come  into  the  country  from  dispossessing  the  rightful 
owners  of  those  lands. 

The  country  to  which  Col.  John  Todd  came  as  county-lieutenant  was 
in  a  very  discouraging  condition.  It  had  reached  the  maximum  of  pros- 


96  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

perity  about  the  time  the  French  turned  it  over  to  the  English  in  1765. 
Very  many  of  the  French  went  to  New  Orleans  or  to  St.  Louis  during 
the  British  regime.  The  English  king  had  attempted  to  keep  out  the 
immigrant.  The  cultivation  of  the  soil  was  sadly  neglected.  The  few 
French  who  remained  were  engaged  in  trading  with  the  Indians.  Many 
came  to  be  expert  boatmen.  Trade  was  brisk  between  the  French  settle- 
ments in  the  Illinois  country  and  New  Orleans. 

Previous  to  the  coming  of  Clark  the  French  gentleman,  Chevalier 
de  Rocheblave,  who  was  holding  the  country  in  the  name  of  the  British 
government,  had  been  not  only  neglectful  but  really  very  obstinate  and 
self  willed  about  carrying  on  civil  affairs.  He  allowed  the  courts,  or- 
ganized by  Colonel  "Wilkins,  to  fall  into  disuse.  The  merchants  and 
others  who  had  need  for  courts  found  little  satisfaction  in  attempts  to 
secure  justice.  During  the  time  between  the  coming  of  Clark  and  of 
Todd,  there  were  courts  organized  but  the  military  operations  were  so 
overshadowing  that  probably  little  use  was  made  of  them. 

Patrick  Henry,  governor  of  Virginia,  made  out  Colonel  Todd's  com- 
mission and  in  addition  gave  him  a  lengthy  letter  of  instructions. 
Todd  was  directed — 

To  cultivate  the  affection  of  the  French  and  Indians. 

To  impress  the  people  with  the  value  of  liberty. 

To  guarantee  an  improved  jurisprudence. 

To  consult  and  advise  with  the  most  intelligent  and  upright  persons 
who  might  fall  in  his  way. 

To  hold  the  property  of  the  Indians,  particularly  the  land,  invi- 
olable. 

To  cultivate  the  good  will  and  confidence  of  the  Spanish  command- 
ant and  his  people  at  St.  Louis. 

To  see  that  the  wife  of  Chevalier  de  Rocheblave  should  have  re- 
stored to  her  the  property  of  which  she  was  bereft  when  her  husband 
was  sent  a  prisoner  to  Williamsburg. 

To  subordinate  the  military  to  the  civil  authority. 

To  encourage  trade. 

And  to  carry  out  the  above  principles  with  "unwearied  diligence." 

This  was  no  ordinary  arrival  (the  arrival  of  Todd)  at  the  goodly 
French  village  of  Kaskaskia.  In  eighty  years  of  its  existence  it  had 
seen  explorers  and  missionaries,  priests  and  soldiers,  famous  travelers 
and  men  of  high  degree  come  and  go,  but  never  before  one  sent  to  ad- 
minister the  laws  of  a  people's  government  for  the  benefit  of  the  gov- 
erned. 

It  appears  from  the  records  of  Colonel  Todd  that  on  the  14th  of 
May,  1779,  he  organized  the  military  department  of  his  work,  by  ap- 
pointing the  officers  of  the  militia  at  Kaskaskia,  Prairie  du  Rocher, 
and  Cahokia.  Richard  Winston,  Jean  B.  Barbeau,  and  Francois 
Trotier  were  made  commandants  and  captains  in  the  three  villages 
respectively. 

The  next  step  was  to  elect  judges  provided  for  in  the  act  creating  the1 
county  of  Illinois.  Judges  were  elected  at  Cahokia,  Kaskaskia,  and  at 
Vincennes,  and  court  was  held  monthly.  There  seems  to  have  been  a 
scarcity  of  properly  qualified  men  for  the  places  as  in  many  instances 
militia  officers  were  elected  judges,  and  in  one  case  the  "Deputy-Com- 
mandant at  Kaskaskia  filled  also  the  office  of  sheriff. ' ' 

Todd  issued  permits  or  charters  of  trade  and  encouraged  those  about 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  97 

him  to  engage  in  business.  He  also  gave  attention  to  the  subject  of 
land-claims.  No  new  claims  were  to  be  recognized  except  such  as  were 
made  according  to  the  custom  of  the  French  inhabitants. 

Colonel  Todd  found  enough  work  to  keep  him  busy  and  it  is  doubt- 
ful if  it  was  all  as  pleasant  as  he  might  have  wished.  The  records  which 
he  kept,  and  which  are  now  in  the  keeping  of  the  Chicago  Historical 
Society,  show  that  severe  penalties  were  inflicted  in  those  days.  On 
page  18,  bearing  date  of  June  13,  is  the  following  order: 

Illinois  to-wit:  to  Richard  Winston,  Esq.,  Sheriff-in-Chief  of  the 
District  of  Kaskaskia. 

Negro  Manuel,  a  Slave  in  your  custody,  is  condemned  by  the  court 
of  Kaskaskia,  after  having  made  honorable  Fine  at  the  door  of  the 
Church,  to  be  chained  to  a  post  at  the  Water  Side,  and  there  to  be 
burnt  alive  and  his  ashes  scattered,  as  appears  to  me  by  Record. 

This  sentence  you  are  hereby  required  to  put  in  execution  on  Tues- 
day next  at  9  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  this  shall  be  your  warrant. 

Given  under  my  hand  and  seal  at  Kaskaskia  the  13th  day  of  June 
(1779)  in  the  third  year  of  the  commonwealth. 

Jno.  Todd. 

A  similar  case  to  the  above  is  also  recorded  in  the  record  book  kept 
by  Colonel  Todd.  It  appears  that  witchcraft  among  the  negro  slaves 
was  a  common  thing  in  the  French  villages,  and  the  punishment  was 
death.  In  Reynold's  History  there  is  a  statement  that  a  negro  by  the 
name  of  Moreau  was  hanged  for  witchcraft  in  Cahokia  in  1790.  But  in 
the  record  book  kept  by  Todd  this  entry  occurs : 

To  Capt.  Nicholas  Janis. 

You  are  hereby  required  to  call  upon  a  party  of  your  militia  to 
guard  Moreau,  a  slave  condemned  to  execution,  up  to  the  town  of  Cohos 
(Cahokia).  Put  them  under  an  officer.  They  shall  be  entitled  to  pay 
rations  and  refreshments  during  the  time  they  shall  be  upon  duty  to  be 
certified  hereafter  by  you.  I  am  sir, 

Your  humble  servant, 

Jno.  Todd 
15th  June,  1779. 

Colonel  Todd  held  this  position  of  county-lieutenant  for  about  three 
years.  During  that  time  he  established  courts,  held  popular  elections, 
and  executed  the  law  with  vigor. 

In  the  spring  of  1780  he  was  elected  a  delegate  from  the  county  of 
Kentucky  to  the  Virginia  legislature.  He  attended  the  sessions  of  the 
legislature  and  while  at  the  capital  married.  In  the  fall  he  returned  to 
Lexington,  Kentucky,  where  he  left  his  bride  and  came  to  Illinois 
county.  In  the  spring  or  summer  of  1781,  Governor  Jefferson  appointed 
Todd  colonel  of  Fayette  county,  Kentucky.  He  purposed  settling  in 
Richmond,  Virginia,  permanently,  but  in  August  he  was  temporarily 
in  Lexington  when  an  attack  was  made  on  the  town  by  Indians.  The 
retreating  redskins  were  pursued,  and  at  the  Battle  of  Blue  Licks, 
fought  August  18,  1782,  Todd  was  killed. 

There  was  a  deputy  county-lieutenant  or  deputy-commandant  in 
each  village,  and  when  Colonel  Todd  was  absent,  the  reins  of  govern- 
ment were  in  the  hands  of  one  of  these  deputies.  On  the  occasion  of 
his  absence  at  the  time  of  his  death  he  had  left,  it  seems,  Timothy  De- 

VoL     1—7 


98  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

mountbrun  as  county  lieutenant.     This  man  seems  to  have  been  the 
only  one  authorized  to  rule,  till  the  coming  of  St.  Clair  in  1790. 

VIRGINIA  CEDES  HER  WESTERN  LANDS 

In  the  famous  resolution  introduced  into  the  Continental  congress 
by  Richard  Henry  Lee,  of  Virginia,  on  June  7,  1776,  there  were  three 
distinct  provisions: 

1.  That  we  are  and  of  right  ought  to  be  free  and  independent  states. 

2.  That  we  ought  to  form  a  National  government. 

3.  That  we  ought  to  send  ministers  abroad  to  solicit  aid  in  estab- 
lishing our  independence. 

The  resolutions  were  adopted.  A  committee  known  as  the  Grand 
Committee  consisting  of  one  representative  from  each  state,  was  ap- 
pointed to  draw  up  the  form  of  government.  This  committee  reported 
what  came  to  be  known  as  the  Articles  of  Confederation.  This  docu- 
ment provided  that  it  should  go  into  effect  when  it  should  be  ratified  by 
all  of  the  thirteen  colonies.  By  the  spring  of  1781,  all  the  states  had 
ratified  except  Maryland.  This  state  refused  to  ratify  the  article  un- 
less all  the  states  that  had  claims  to  western  lands  should  cede  their 
lands  to  the  United  States  to  be  disposed  of  for  the  good  of  the  govern- 
ment as  a  whole.  Massachusetts,  Connecticut,  New  York,  Virginia,  the 
two  Carolinas,  and  Georgia  had  claims  to  western  lands.  These  states 
after  due  consideration  of  all  of  the  interests  involved  in  the  refusal  of 
Maryland  to  endorse  the  articles,  agreed  to  cede  their  lands ;  and  Mary- 
land, on  the  1st  of  March,  1781,  ratified  the  Articles  of  Confederation 
and  the  government  went  into  operation  under  the  articles  on  the  2d 
of  the  same  month. 

By  reference  to  a  former  chapter  it  will  be  seen  that  Virginia, 
Connecticut,  and  Massachusetts  all  had  claims  to  land  lying  within  the 
present  state  of  Illinois.  Virginia's  claim  rested  on  her  "sea  to  sea" 
grant  of  1609.  But  in  addition  she  claimed  the  territory  now  included 
in  Illinois,  because  her  troops  had  captured  this  territory  from  the 
British,  and  her  civil  government  had  been  extended  over  it  as  has  been 
shown  in  the  last  chapter. 

Virginia  passed  her  ordinance  of  cession  in  October,  1783,  which 
authorized  her  representatives  in  congress  to  sign  the  deed  of  transfer. 
This  deed  of  transfer  was  duly  signed  by  Thomas  Jefferson,  Samuel 
Hardy,  Arthur  Lee,  and  James  Monroe,  December  20,  1783.  From  this 
time  forward  Virginia  had  no  more  interest  in  the  Illinois  country  than 
had  any  other  state,  except  that  there  were  reserved  certain  lands  which 
she  wished  to  use  in  payment  of  her  soldiers. 

CIVIL  GOVERNMENT  NORTH  OP  THE  OHIO 

In  1784  congress  passed  an  ordinance  which  was  to  serve  as  a  basis 
of  civil  government  in  the  territory  north  of  the  Ohio  river,  until  such 
time  as  there  should  be  sufficient  population  to  justify  the  admission 
of  the  territory  into  the  union  as  states.  In  1785  a  system  of  surveys 
was  adopted  by  congress  which  probably  was  the  beginning  of  what 
afterward  was  called  the  rectangular  system  of  surveys.  The  public 
land  was  to  be  laid  off  in  squares  six  miles  each  way,  and  each  six  miles 
square  was  then  to  be  subdivided  into  squares  of  one  mile  on  a  side. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  99 

The  law  of  1784  provided  for  an  officer  corresponding  to  our  surveyor 
general.  Thomas  Hutchins,  formerly  an  engineer  in  the  British  army 
was  appointed  to  this  office,  and  his  work  was  very  valuable  in  the 
early  settlement  of  the  west.  The  ordinance  of  1784  was  intended  to 
provide  a  means  by  which  the  inhabitants  could  organize  a  temporary 
government.  It  assumed  that  the  country  could  be  or  was  settled.  And 
until  such  time  as  the  inhabitants  should  call  on  congress  to  provide  a 
temporary  government  for  them  there  was  really  no  government  for 
the  people.  No  one  came  into  the  new  territory  and  no  land  was  sold 
as  a  result  of  the  land  surveys.  Probably  there  would  have  been  very 
little  interest  in  making  settlements  in  the  territory  for  some  time  if  it 
had  not  been  for  an  organization  gotten  up  in  Massachusetts  which 
had  for  its  purpose  the  exchange  of  depreciated  certificates  of  indebt- 
edness, held  by  Revolutionary  officers  against  the  general  government, 
for  western  lands.  As  early  as  1783  petitions  had  been  sent  to  congress 
asking  for  the  setting  aside  of  land  immediately  west  of  Pennsylvania 
for  the  use  of  Revolutionary  soldiers  and  others.  Out  of  this  mover 
ment  there  was  organized  in  Boston,  March  3,  1786,  the  Ohio  Company 
of  Associates.  This  organization  purposed  "The  conversion  of  those 
old  final  certificates  into  future  homes,  westward  of  the  Ohio  .  .  . 
and  the  formation  of  a  new  state." 

ORDINANCE  OP  1787  PASSED 

This  new  land  company  sent  Gen.  S.  H.  Parsons  to  congress,  which 
was  then  sitting  in  New  York  to  lay  a  proposition  before  that  body.  It 
was  referred  to  a  committee  for  consideration.  Dr.  Manasseh  Cutler, 
of  Massachusetts,  appeared  upon  the  scene  just  as  the  new  ordinance 
was  being  considered.  Doctor  Cutler  was  busily  engaged  in  consulta- 
tion with  committees  and  with  members  and  as  an  outcome  of  it  all, 
congress  passed  the  Ordinance  of  1787.  Very  briefly  this  ordinance 
provided : 

1.  The  territory  northwest  of  the  Ohio  was  made  one  district  for 
temporary  government. 

2.  That  property  of  resident  or  non-resident  persons,  dying  intes- 
tate, should  descend  to  legal  heirs  in  equal  parts. 

3.  Congress  should  appoint  a  governor,  secretary,  and  three  judges 
to  administer  civil  law. 

4.  The  governor  and  judges  should  adopt  and  publish  such  laws 
from  the  original  states  as  were  found  suited  to  conditions  in  the  new 
territory. 

5.  The  governor  was  to  be  the  commander-in-chief  of  the  military 
establishment. 

6.  The  governor  should  appoint  all  needed  civil  officers  until  such 
time  as  a  legislature  was  organized,  after  which,  the  creation  of  local 
offices  was  left  with  that  body. 

7.  All  laws,  rules,  orders,  or  regulations  were  to  be  enforced  in 
all  parts  of  the  territory. 

8.  When  the  population  reached  5,000  free  male  inhabitants  of 
full  age,  a  representative  assembly  should  be  granted. 

9.  The  general  assembly  or  territorial  legislature  should  consist  of 
(1)   governor,    (2)   the  council,   (3)   the  house  of  representatives,  con- 
sisting of  one  representative  to  every  500  free  male  inhabitants. 


100  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

10.  The  legislature  should  send  one  delegate  to  congress  who  should 
have  the  right  of  debate  but  not  of  voting. 

11.  There  shall  be  freedom  of  religious  belief  and  practice. 

12.  The  inhabitants  shall  have    (1)    the  privilege  of  the  writ  of 
habeas  corpus;    (2)   the  right  of  trial  by  jury;   (3)   processes  of  the 
common  law;    (4)    right  of  bail;    (5)    exemption  from  excessive  fines 
and  punishments. 

13.  The  utmost  good  faith  toward  the  Indians  must  be  preserved. 

14.  The  legislature  of  the  states  when  formed,  shall  not  interfere 
with  the  congress  in  the  disposition  of  the  public  lands. 

15.  States  may  be  admitted  into  the  union  when  the  population 
will  justify  it. 

16.  Slavery   nor  involuntary   servitude,   except  as   a  punishment 
for   crimes  whereof  the  person  shall  have  been   convicted,  shall  not 
exist  within  the  said  territory  northwest  of  the  Ohio  river. 

As  soon  as  this  Ordinance  was  passed  there  sprang  up  quite  an  ac- 
tive interest  in  the  matter  of  making  settlements  in  this  northwest 
territory.  Congress  sold  large  tracts  of  land.  This  Ohio  Land  Com- 
pany bought  about  2,000,000  acres  on  the  Muskingum  river,  but  paid 
for  only  about  half  that  amount.  Other  large  sales  were  made,  and 
immigration  set  in.  The  Rev.  Manasseh  Cutler's  company  of  forty- 
eight  persons  from  Massachusetts  reached  the  Muskingum  April  7,  1788, 
where  they  founded  Marietta,  Ohio. 

GOVERNMENT  ORGANIZED 

Following  the  passage  of  the  Ordinance  of  1787,  July  13,  congress 
appointed  the  officials  as  follows :  Governor,  Gen.  Arthur  St.  Clair ; 
secretary,  Winthrop  Sargent;  judges,  Samuel  Holden  Parsons,  James 
M.  Varnum,  and  John  Cleves  Symmes.  The  governor  arrived  at  Mari- 
etta July  9,  1787,  but  Judge  Varnum  preceded  him,  for  he  made  a  4th 
of  July  speech  at  Marietta,  five  days  before  the  coming  of  the  governor. 

On  the  15th  of  July  Governor  St.  Clair  created  Washington  county, 
northwest  territory.  In  September  the  governor  and  judges  adopted 
a  code  of  laws  for  the  territory.  In  January  these  officials  came  to 
Losantiville,  opposite  the  mouth  of  Licking  river,  which  they  changed 
to  Cincinnati.  Here  they  created  the  county  of  Hamilton.  This  point 
was  made  the  seat  of  government. 

The  governor  and  secretary  proceeded  westward  and  reached  Kas- 
kaskia  on  the  5th  of  March,  1790.  Here  they  created  the  county  of 
St.  Clair.  Later,  on  the  journey  back  toward  the  seat  of  government, 
the  county  of  Knox  was  organized.  There  were  thus  four  counties  and 
four  county  seats — Washington  county,  Marietta  the  county  seat ;  Ham- 
ilton county,  Cincinnati  the  county  seat ;  St.  Clair  county,  Cahokia  the 
county  seat;  Knox  county,  Vincennes  the  county  seat. 

CONDITIONS  IN  ILLINOIS 

Let  us  now  recall  the  condition  in  which  we  left  the  Illinois  country. 
Colonel  Todd  whose  coming  promised  so  much,  in  1779,  seems  to  have 
served  the  people  of  Illinois  but  a  short  time.  He  was  nominally  the 
civil  commandant  up  to  the  day  of  his  death,  August  18,  1782.  But 
from  the  day  he  left  in  the  summer  of  1780,  the  good  order  and  quiet 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  101 

on-going  began  to  decline.  John  Gabriel  Cerre,  a  very  prominent  citi- 
zen of  St.  Louis  and  formerly  a  merchant  in  Kaskaskia,  was  before  a 
committee  in  congress  in  July,  1786,  and  upon  being  interrogated  re- 
plied as  follows: 

Question — Were  the  people  of  the  Illinois  heretofore  governed  by 
the  laws  of  Canada  or  by  usages  and  customs  of  their  own,  or  partly 
by  one  and  partly  by  the  other? 

Answer — The  people  of  Illinois  were  governed  before  the  conquest 
of  Canada  by  the  same  laws  as  the  people  of  Canada,  which  were  of 
the  same  nature  as  those  of  old  France  adapted  to  the  particular  cir- 
cumstances of  the  country.  They  had  local  customs  which  were  equally 
binding  as  the  laws  and  after  the  conquest  the  British  commandants 
were  civil  judges  who  governed  by  the  same  laws  and  customs  as  the 
people  lived  under  before  the  conquest  of  Canada ;  all  public  transac- 
tions being  recorded  in  French  for  the  information  of  the  country. 
Criminal  cases  were  referred  to  England. 

Question — By  what  law  or  usages  and  by  what  judges  is  criminal 
and  civil  justice  dispensed  at  this  time? 

Answer — In  1779,  when  Colonel  Todd  went  into  that  country,  the 
people  chose  six  magistrates  to  govern  them  according  to  the  French 
laws  and  customs,  which  magistrates  were  empowered  by  Colonel  Todd 
to  judge  in  criminal  cases.  After  the  troops  were  withdrawn  the  power 
of  the  magistrates  was  annihilated  and  everything  fell  into  anarchy  and 
confusion — the  state  of  affairs  at  this  time  (1786). 

Question — What  is  the  computed  number  of  inhabitants  in  the  whole 
Illinois  district,  and  what  proportion  of  them  are  slaves? 

Answer — There  may  be  in  the  towns  on  the  Mississippi  about  300 
white  inhabitants,  including  American  settlers  who  may  number  about 
50.  There  are,  moreover,  about  250  slaves. 

Between  the  leaving  of  Todd  in  1782  and  the  coming  of  St.  Clair, 
1790,  there  were  several  years  of  disorder  and  confusion.  There  was 
the  constant  decrease  of  the  population;  there  were  no  courts;  there 
was  no  money  in  circulation.  There  were  only  sixty-five  Americans 
who  could  bear  arms  in  1791,  and  only  300  militia  of  all  nationalities. 
There  were  probably  not  more  than  a  thousand  souls  in  the  Illinois 
country  at  this  time.  A  few  people  were  coming  into  this  region.  Two 
families.  McElmurry  and  Flannery,  settled  in  Alexander  county  oppo- 
site Goose  Island  as  early  as  1783.  Other  settlements  were  made  and  a 
few  block  houses  were  built.  Reynolds  mentions  quite  a  number  of 
American  pioneers  who  came  into  Illinois  prior  to  1790.  James  Moore 
settled  near  the  present  town  of  Waterloo  at  a  place  called  Slab  Spring. 
Shadrach  Bond,  Sr.,  uncle  of  Governor  Bond,  James  Garrison,  and 
Robert  Kidd  settled  Blockhouse  fort.  These  men  arrived  about  1781, 
and  all  came  to  be  highly  respected,  useful  citizens.  One  of  the  most 
noted  immigrants  of  these  early  times  was  Gen.  John  Edgar.  He  had 
been  in  the  service  of  Great  Britain  but  gave  it  up  for  the  American 
cause.  He  came  to  Kaskaskia  in  1784.  His  name  is  intimately  asso- 
ciated with  the  early  history  of  the  country.  He  was  quite  wealthy 
and  was  very  generous.  He  died  in  1832. 

When  Governor  St.  Clair  and  Winthrop  Sargent  reached  Kaskas- 
kia, they  must  have  been  greatly  disappointed  in  the  condition  and 
character  of  the  people,  for  Governor  St.  Clair,  writing  from  Cahokia 
to  the  secretary  of  war,  says — r'They  are  the  most  ignorant  people  in 


102  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

the  world ;  there  is  not  a  50th  man  that  can  either  read  or  write. ' '  They 
were  all  so  poor.  They  had  contributed  to  Clark's  needs  more  liberally 
than  they  were  able,  and  the  certificates  which  Clark  issued  in  payment 
for  supplies  were  still  held  by,  these  poor  settlers.  In  addition  to  all 
this  there  had  been  three  recent  inundations  of  the  Mississippi  bottoms. 
Not  only  had  crops  been  washed  away  but  the  planting  had  been  pre- 
vented and  much  distress  had  resulted. 

As  has  been  stated,  St.  Glair  and  his  secretary  reached  Kaskaskia 
in  March,  1790.  On  April  27,  Governor  St.  Clair  established  the  county 
of  St.  Clair.  It  included  all  the  territory  north  and  east  of  the  Ohio 
and  the  Mississippi  and  Illinois  rivers,  and  west  of  the  line  running 
from  Port  Massac  through  the  mouth  of  the  Mackinaw  creek  a  short 
distance  below  the  city  of  Peoria. 

The  county  was  divided  into  three  districts  with  the  three  towns  of 
Kaskaskia,  Prairie  du  Rocher,  and  Cahokia  as  centers  of  administra- 
tion. The  governor  created  a  number  of  offices  and  filled  them  before 
leaving  the  territory.  The  most  important  were : 

Sheriff — "William  Biggs. 

Judges  of  the  Court — Jean  Barbeau,  John  Edgar,  Antoine  Gerar- 
din,  Philip  Engle,  John  de  Moulin. 

Probate  Judge — Bartholomew  Tardiveau. 

Among  the  other  officers  were  justices  of  the  peace,  coroner,  notary, 
clerk  and  recorder,  surveyor,  lieutenant  colonel,  major,  captains,  etc. 
The  laws  which  the  governor  and  the  three  judges  had  adopted,  together 
with  those  which  they  should  adopt,  were  the  laws  to  be  administered. 
It  is  probable  that  little  official  work  was  done  by  the  officers  whom  St. 
Clair  left  in  St.  Clair  county.  The  courts  seldom  convened,  and  the 
militia  men  are  said  to  have  refused  to  serve.  There  was  not  much 
difference  between  the  condition  of  things  before  and  after  St.  Glair's 
coming. 

In  1795,  Judge  Turner,  one  of  the  three  federal  judges,  came  to  hold 
court  and  out  of  a  contention  between  him  and  St.  Clair  the  county  of 
St.  Clair  was  divided  into  two  counties  by  a  line  running  due  east  and 
west  through  New  Design.  The  north  half  was  called  St.  Clair  county 
with  Cahokia  for  the  county  seat,  while  the  south  half  was  called  Ran- 
dolph county  with  Kaskaskia  as  the  county  seat. 

There  were  two  sources  of  annoyance  to  the  people  of  Illinois  be- 
tween 1785  and  1800.  These  were  the  Indian  troubles  and  the  conduct 
of  Spain  in  relation  to  the  use  of  the  lower  Mississippi. 

The  Kickapoo  Indians  were  quite  active  in  marauding  campaigns 
into  Illinois.  There  does  not  seem  to  have  been  any  real  military  cam- 
paigns and  the  work  on  the  part  of  the  whites  consisted  chiefly  in  de- 
fending their  homes  against  the  Indian  attacks.  Block  houses  were 
built  wherever  there  were  settlers  and  in  many  instances  stockades  were 
provided  for  the  safety  of  stock  as  well  as  of  the  people.  A  number  of 
people  were  killed  in  the  Illinois  country.  William  Biggs,  afterward 
the  sheriff  of  St.  Clair  county,  was  captured  by  a  band  of  Kickapoos  on 
the  28th  of  March,  1788.  He  lived  at  Bellefontaine,  and  on  the  above 
date,  early  in  the  morning  he  was  going  to  Cahokia  on  horseback  with 
a  load  of  beaver  furs,  accompanied  by  one  John  Vallis.  They  had  not 
gone  far  till  they  were  fired  on.  Vallis  was  wounded  in  the  thigh  and 
died  in  a  few  weeks.  Biggs  was  not  hit  by  the  Indians  but  his  horse 
received  four  bullet  wounds.  Biggs  was  captured  and  was  taken  to  an 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  103 

Indian  village  and  after  being  held  for  several  weeks  was  released  and 
came  home.  In  1826  he  wrote  out  and  published  the  entire  story  of  his 
capture  which  is  very  interesting. 

The  other  matter  referred  to,  the  Spaniards '  refusal  of  the  use  of  the 
lower  Mississippi,  did  not  concern  the  Illinois  people  very  much.  Spain 
held  New  Orleans  from  1763  till  its  recession  to  France.  During  a  part 
of  that  time  Spain  refused  to  allow  our  river  boats  to  land  our  produce 
on  the  wharf  for  reshipment.  But  in  1795  a  treaty  was  made  with  that 
country  by  which  we  secured  the  privilege  of  the  right  of  "deposit." 
From  this  time  till  the  purchase  of  Louisiana  we  had  free  access  to  the 
Port  of  New  Orleans. 

LOCAL  GOVERNMENT 

The  Ordinance  of  1787  provided  that  when  there  should  be  5,000  free 
male  whites  of  the  age  of  twenty-one  years  in  the  Northwest  territory 
they  might  organize  a  legislature  on  the  basis  of  one  representative  for 
each  500  whites  of  the  age  of  twenty-one.  This  was  done  in  the  year 
1798.  Shadrach  Bond  was  elected  to  represent  St.  Clair  county  and 
John  Edgar  to  represent  Randolph  county.  The  legislature  met  at 
Cincinnati  on  the  4th  of  February,  1799.  There  were  twenty-two  mem- 
bers in  the  lower  house,  representing  eleven  counties.  William  H.  Har- 
rison who  had  succeeded  Sargent  as  secretary  was  elected  a  delegate 
to  congress.  In  the  session  of  congress  in  the  winter  of  1799-1800,  the 
proposition  to  divide  the  Northwest  territory  into  two  territories  was 
referred  to  a  committee  of  which  Harrison  was  chairman.  The  report 
was  favorably  received  by  congress  and  on  the  7th  of  May,  1800,  an  act 
was  passed  dividing  the  Northwest  territory  by  a  line  running  from  the 
Ohio  to  Fort  Recovery  and  thence  to  the  line  separating  the  territory 
from  Canada. 

The  western  part  was  to  be  known  as  the  Indiana  territory  and  its 
government  was  to  be  of  the  first-class.  Its  capital  was  located  at  Vin- 
cennes  and  the  governor  was  William  Henry  Harrison.  The  eastern 
division  was  called  the  Northwest  territory,  its  capital  was  Chillicothe, 
and  Governor  St.  Clair  was  still  the  chief  executive.  The  east  division 
was  admitted  as  a  state  in  1802,  February  19.  Illinois,  Indiana,  Wis- 
consin, and  Michigan  now  became  the  Indiana  territory. 


CHAPTER  IX 
AS  A  PART  OP  INDIANA  TERRITORY 

HARRISON  AND  THE  INDIAN  PROBLEMS — SLAVERY  IN  THE  TERRITORY — ILLI- 
NOIS TERRITORY  ERECTED. 

The  Northwest  territory  had  grown  in  population  since  the  institu- 
tion of  the  Ordinance  of  1787.  Governor  St.  Clair  had  done  much  for 
the  territory  and  yet  there  were  loud  complaints  about  the  inefficiency 
of  the  government.  Courts  were  held  infrequently  and  criminals  were 
seldom  punished.  Great  discontent  existed  because  of  the  failure  of 
the  government  to  confirm  the  land  claims  of  the  people.  St.  Clair  and 
the  legislature  often  were  bitterly  opposed  to  each  other.  The  Indians 
were  numerous  and  insolent.  The  center  of  population  had  moved 
rapidly  eastward  and  St.  Glair's  interests  were  carried  eastward. 

HARRISON  AND  THE  INDIAN  PROBLEMS 

In  the  congress  of  1799-1800  a  bill  passed  providing  for  the  separ- 
ation of  what  is  now  the  state  of  Ohio  from  the  territory  to  the  west. 
The  western  part  was  to  be  called  the  Indiana  territory  while  the  east- 
ern part  retained  the  name  of  Northwest  territory.  On  July  4,  1800, 
the  Indiana  territory  came  into  existence.  Gen.  William  Henry  Harri- 
son, at  that  time  a  delegate  in  congress,  was  made  governor  of  the  new 
territory.  The  organization  was  that  of  a  territory  of  the  first  class,  and 
John  Gibson  was  appointed  secretary,  the  judges  being  William  Clark. 
John  Griffin,  and  Henry  Vranderburg.  The  county  organization  of 
Knox,  St.  Clair,  and  Randolph  remained  quite  similar  to  that  in  force 
before  the  division. 

The  most  important  work  which  lay  before  Governor  Harrison  was 
the  Indian  problems.  Governor  Harrison  was  made  superintendent  of 
Indian  affairs  in  addition  to  that  of  civil  governor.  By  the  treaty  of 
Greenville  in  the  summer  of  1795,  General  Wayne  acquired  about 
18,000,000  acres  of  land  in  the  Northwest  territory  for  the  United  States. 
The  treaty  was  agreed  to  by  thirteen  tribes  who  claimed  lands  in  the 
eastern  part  of  the  Northwest  territory.  But  now  population  was  mov- 
ing west  rapidly  and  the  Indians  in  Indiana,  Illinois,  and  the  territory 
to  the  north  were  very  restless  and  troublesome.  It  required  the  great- 
est diplomacy  to  handle  these  Indians.  It  has  been  said  that  Governor 
Harrison  exhibited  just  such  a  remarkable  aptitude  in  handling  the  In- 
dian question  as  was  needful  at  that  time.  By  the  year  1805,  Harri- 
son had  made  treaties  with  as  many  as  eight  or  ten  tribes  in  the  west. 
The  most  noted  were  the  treaties  at  Fort  Wayne,  Vincennes  and  St. 

104 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  105 

Louis.  By  these  treaties  the  United  States  came  into  possession  of  about 
30,000,000  acres  of  land  in  the  western  part  of  the  old  Northwest  ter- 
ritory. 

It  must  not  be  thought  that  because  the  Indians  had  made  treaties 
in  which  they  ceded  their  lands  to  the  general  government  that  there- 
fore the  Indian  problems  were  all  solved.  Many  of  these  Indians  still 
lingered  in  the  region  of  their  old  hunting  grounds,  and  often  it  oc- 
curred that  the  whites  and  the  red  people  were  closely  intermingled  in 
many  regions. 

SLAVERY  IN  THE  TERRITORY 

It  has  already  been  shown  that  slavery  had  been  introduced  into  the 
Illinois  country  by  Philip  Renault  in  1721.  In  that  year  he  brought  500 
slaves  to  the  Louisiana  territory,  but  probably  all  were  not  brought  to 
the  Illinois  country.  But  a  large  number  was  brought  to  Kaskaskia 
and  from  that  day  forward  for  a  century,  slavery  was  a  fixed  institu- 
tion in  Illinois.  In  1763,  France  ceded  the  Illinois  country  to  Great 
Britain,  and  while  there  was  nothing  said  in  the  treaty  about  slaves, 
the  French  people  could  freely  remove  to  other  countries  or  stay  as 
they  liked,  and  if  they  stayed  they  were  to  retain  all  their  rights  and 
privileges  which  they  held  prior  to  the  treaty.  General  Gage  in  a 
proclamation  to  the  people  of  the  Illinois  country  in  1763  stated  among 
other  things,  "That  those  who  choose  to  retain  their  lands  and  be- 
come subjects  of  his  majesty,  shall  enjoy  the  same  rights  and  privi- 
leges, the  same  security  for  their  persons  and  effects  and  the  liberty  of 
trade,  as  the  old  subjects  of  the  king."  So  there  was  slavery  in  Illinois 
as  a  British  possession  just  as  when  it  was  French  territory.  In  1783 
Great  Britain  transferred  this  same  territory  to  the  United  States.  The 
United  States  in  turn  agreed  to  guarantee  to  the  people  security  for 
persons  and  effects.  Thus  slavery  was  recognized.  Again  when  Vir- 
ginia ceded  her  territory  west  of  the  Alleghany  mountains  she  incor- 
porated in  her  deed  of  cession  the  following — "Be  it  enacted — That  the 
French  and  Canadian  inhabitants 'and  other  settlers  of  the  Kaskaskia, 
St.  Vincents,  and  the  neighboring  villages,  who  have  professed  them- 
selves citizens  of  Virginia  shall  have  their  possessions  and  titles  con- 
firmed to  them,  and  be  protected  in  the  enjoyment  of  their  rights  and 
liberties. ' '  This  was  in  1784. 

In  the  same  year  an  ordinance  was  passed  to  govern  the  Northwest 
territory.  An  amendment  was  added  the  next  year  which  said — "That 
there  shall  be  neither  slavery  nor  involuntary  servitude  in  any  of  the 
states"  which  shall  be  made  of  the  Northwest  territory.  In  the  Ordi- 
nance of  1787,  article  the  sixth  provides — "There  shall  be  neither  slav- 
ery nor  involuntary  servitude  in  the  said  territory  otherwise  than  in  the 
punishment  of  crimes,  whereof  the  party  shall  have  been  duly  con- 
victed." This  clause  was  a  source  of  fear  to  the  inhabitants  around 
Kaskaskia  for  they  yet  held  many  slaves.  When  Governor  St.  Glair 
arrived  in  Illinois  country  in  1790  he  put  an  interpretation  upon  the 
sixth  article  which  quieted  the  slave  holder  very  much.  He  gave  it  as 
his  interpretation  that  the  sixth  article  meant  that  no  more  slaves 
could  be  brought  into  the  territory,  but  that  the  slaves  that  were  al- 
ready there  were  not  to  be  disturbed.  This  was  the  construction 
put  upon  the  article  for  the  next  several  years. 


106  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

On  January  12,  1796,  a  petition  was  sent  to  congress  from  Kaskas- 
kia,  signed  by  John  Edgar,  William  Morrison,  William  St.  Clair,  and 
John  de  Moulin  for  and  on  behalf  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  counties 
of  St.  Clair  and  Randolph  praying  that  congress  would  annul  the 
sixth  article  of  the  Ordinance  of  1787.  This  article  prohibited  slav- 
ery in  the  territory.  These  petitions  argued  (1)  That  Virginia 
promised  them  through  George  Rogers  Clark  that  they  should  be 
protected  in  all  their  rights  and  interests.  (2)  That  while  they  now 
held  slaves  as  in  the  days  of  the  British  supremacy,  yet  it  was  gen- 
erally agreed  that  children  born  of  slave  parents  would  be  free  under 
the  ordinance.  (3)  That  help  was  scarce  and  it  was  quite  difficult  to 
get  laborers  and  mechanics.  (4)  Many  excellent  people  coming  from 
the  old  slave  states  go  on  into  Spanish  territory  where  slavery  is  per- 
mitted who  else  would  locate  in  Illinois. 

This  petition  was  forwarded  to  congress  by  Governor  St.  Clair. 
It  was  referred  to  a  committee,  who,  through  its  chairman,  Mr. 
Joshua  Coit,  reported  that  there  was  no  evidence  that  Edgar  and  the 
other  signers  spoke  for  any  one  else  than  themselves,  and  that  there 
was  strenuous  opposition  to  granting  the  petition  coming  from  the 
eastern  part  of  the  territory.  The  petition  was  not  granted. 

A  second  attempt  was  made  to  get  the  sixth  article  repealed  or  an- 
nulled in  1799.  This  was  a  petition  of  old  soldiers  to  the  legislature 
of  Indiana  for  permission  to  bring  their  slaves  with  them  into  and 
upon  the  Virginia  military  reserve.  The  committee  reported  that  the 
request  "was  incompatible  with  the  articles  of  compact."  The  House 
e'ndorsed  the  report. 

In  1800  a  petition  was  circulated  about  Kaskaskia,  asking  con- 
gress to  annul  the  sixth  article  of  the  ordinance.  It  was  signed  by 
nearly  three  hundred  names.  It  contained,  in  addition  to  a  request 
for  the  abolition  of  the  sixth  article,  a  request  that  congress  extin- 
guish the  title  of  the  Kaskaskia  Indians  to  lands  in  the  Illinois  coun- 
try; and  again,  the  granting  of  tracts  of  lands  to  those  who  would 
open  roads  through  the  country  and  maintain  taverns  on  them  for  the 
convenience  of  travelers.  This  petition  was  presented  on  the  23d  of 
January,  1801,  but  it  was  never  acted  upon. 

In  1802,  while  Governor  Harrison  was  in  Kaskaskia  on  business, 
he  was  strongly  urged  to  call  a  convention  in  Vincennes  to  take  un- 
der advisement  the  admission  of  slavery  into  the  territory.  Such  a 
convention  was  called,  elections  were  held  December  11,  and  the  dele- 
gates were  to  come  to  Vincennes  the  20th  of  that  month.  Randolph 
sent  three  delegates,  St.  Clair  three,  Knox  four,  and  Clark  two — 
twelve  delegates  in  all.  Randolph  sent  Pierre  Menard,  Robert  Rey- 
nolds, and  Robert  Morrison.  St.  Clair  sent  Jean  Francois  Perry, 
Shadrach  Bond,  Sr.,  and  John  Mordeck.  The  convention  was  organ- 
ized and  proceeded  to  the  business  in  hand.  The  delegates  formulated 
their  requests  along  the  following  lines:  (1)  They  contended  that  the 
sixth  article  had  been  the  cause  of  slow  growth  in  the  Indiana  terri- 
tory. (2)  They  asked  only  for  a  suspension  of  the  article  for  ten 
years,  after  which  it  shall  be  in  force.  (3)  Extinction  of  Kaskaskia 
Indian  titles.  (4)  Pre-emption  laws.  (5)  Encouragement  of  schools. 

(6)  Granting  large  sections  of  land  to  those  who  would  open  roads. 

(7)  The  grant  of  the  Saline  Springs  below  the  mouth  of  the  Wabash 
to  the  Indiana  territory. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  107 

The  petition  was  presented  to  congress  and  on  the  2d  of  March, 
1803,  the  committee  reported.  They  said:  "The  rapidly  increasing 
population  of  the  state  of  Ohio  sufficiently  evinces,  in  the  opinion  of 
your  committee,  that  the  labor  of  slaves  is  not  necessary  to  promote 
the  growth  and  settlement  of  colonies  in  that  region." 

The  refusal  of  congress  to  grant  the  request  of  the  Vincennes  con- 
vention roused  the  people  to  a  determination  to  take  the  matter  into 
their  own  hands.  Although  the  Ordinance  of  1787  provided  that  the 
governor  and  judges  acting  as  a  legislative  body  could  adopt  only 
such  laws  as  were  found  upon  the  statute  books  of  some  one  or  more 
of  the  older  states,  the  governor  and  judges  acting  as  the  law-making 
branch  of  the  Indiana  territory,  on  September  22,  1803,  passed  "A 
Law  Concerning  Servants."  It  provided  that  a  person  coming  into 
the  territory  "under  contract  to  serve  another  in  any  trade  or  occu- 
pation shall  be  compelled  to  perform  such  contract  during  the  term 
thereof."  The  contract  was  assignable  to  any  citizen  of  the  terri- 
tory, if  the  servant  consented. 

Intimately  related  with  this  subject  of  slavery  in  the  Indiana  ter- 
ritory, was  the  question  of  advancement  to  the  second  grade  of  terri- 
torial form  of  government.  This  indenture  law  of  1803,  was  not  re- 
garded as  a  very  safe  guarantee  to  the  southern  slave  holder,  and  few 
slaves  were  brought  in.  Notwithstanding  this  timidity  on  the  part  of 
the  slave  owner  to  migrate  into  the  Northwest  territory,  there  was  a 
constant  stream  of  people  coming  from  the  non-slaveholding  states 
and  also  non-slaveholders  from  the  slave  states.  There  can  be  little 
doubt  that  Harrison  and  his  friends  were  favorable  to  some  plan  by 
which  slavery  could  be  introduced,  but  unless  something  could  be 
done  soon  there  would  be  no  chance  as  the  whole  territory  would  be 
anti-slavery. 

The  law  of  congress  creating  the  Indiana  territory,  also  provided 
that  the  government  might  at  any  time  be  changed  to  the  second  class 
when  the  majority  of  the  people  favored  such  a  change.  It  was  ar- 
gued that  laws  passed  by  a  representative  legislature  would  be  re- 
garded with  more  consideration  than  those  enacted  by  the  governor 
and  judges.  Besides  they  would  have  a  delegate  in  congress  who 
while  not  being  allowed  to  vote  would  yet  be  of  great  service  to  the 
people  of  the  territory.  The  governor,  therefore,  issued  a  call  for  an 
election  to  test  the  wish  of  the  people  as  to  the  change  from  the  first 
grade  of  government  to  the  second  grade.  The  election  was  called 
August  4,  1804,  to  be  held  September  11;  and  the  complaint  was  made 
that  the  time  was  too  short  for  even  all  the  voters  to  learn  of  the 
election.  Certainly  something  worked  against  a  full  poll  of  the  terri- 
tory as  only  four  hundred  votes  were  cast.  The  majority  in  favor  of 
the  change  was  one  hundred  and  thirty-eight. 

The  governor  called  an  election  for  members  of  the  legislature. 
The  election  was  held  on  January  3,  1805,  and  on  February  1,  they 
convened  at  Vincennes.  There  were  nine  members  of  the  lower 
house.  Randolph  sent  Dr.  George  Fisher,  while  St.  Clair  sent  Shad- 
rach  Bond  and  "William  Biggs.  The  council  was  selected  in  the  usual 
way.  Pierre  Menard  represented  Randolph  and  John  Hay  was  St. 
Clair 's  representative  in  that  body.  The  full  legislature  met  July 
29,  1805.  The  first  thing  was  the  election  of  a  representative  or  dele- 
gate to  congress.  Benjamin  Parke  was  chosen.  The  next  thing  was 


108  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

to  pass  "An  Act  concerning  the  introduction  of  negroes  and  mulat- 
toes  into  this  territory."  This  was  an  indenture  law.  It  provided 
that  any  slave-holder  might  bring  his  slave  into  the  territory,  and 
enter  into  an  agreement  with  the  slave  as  to  the  length  of  time  the 
slave  was  to  work  for  the  owner.  If  the  slave  refused  to  enter  into 
a  contract,  the  owner  had  sixty  days  in  which  to  return  him  to  a  slave 
state.  The  "indenture"  was  acknowledged  before  the  clerk  of  the 
court  and  placed  on  record.  The  slave  was  then  known  as  an  indented 
slave  or  an  indented  servant.  If  the  slave-holder  has  slaves  under 
fifteen  years  of  age  he  may  simply  register  them  with  the  clerk  of  the 
court.  The  males  must  then  serve  the  owner  till  they  are  thirty-five, 
and  females  till  they  are  thirty-two.  Children  born  of  indented  par- 
ents must  serve  their  masters — males  till  they  are  thirty-two,  females 
till  they  are  twenty-eight. 

ILLINOIS  TERRITORY  ERECTED 

From  the  day  the  Indiana  territory  was  set  off  from  what  came  to 
be  the  state  of  Ohio,  the  people  of  Illinois  began  to  agitate  the  mat- 
ter of  dividing  the  Indiana  territory.  The  Illinois  people  complained 
that  it  was  a  great  inconvenience  to  go  so  far  to  the  seat  of  govern- 
ment. In  a  petition  to  congress  the  Illinois  people  complained  that 
the  road  to  Vincennes  was  a  hundred  and  eighty  miles  through  an 
uninhabited  country  which  it  was  really  dangerous  to  travel. 

Another  argument  was  that  the  governor,  William  H.  Harrison, 
appointed  only  friends  to  office  and  that  all  important  places  were 
filled  with  the  governor's  Indiana  friends. 

A  third  argument  in  favor  of  the  division  was  that  the  people  in 
the  Illinois  region  were  favorable  to  slavery  while  the  Indiana  people 
were  quite  indifferent  to  the  subject  of  introducing  slavery.  The  Illi- 
nois people  thought  if  they  could  get  a  separate  territorial  govern- 
ment, they  could  manage  many  problems  peculiar  to  the  Illinois  peo- 
ple better  than  could  the  legislature  as  then  composed. 

In  the  session  of  the  legislature  in  Vincennes  in  1808,  a  delegate 
to  congress  was  to  be  elected.  Mr.  Jesse  B.  Thomas,  the  presiding 
officer,  promised  the  Illinois  members  if  they  would  vote  for  him  as 
delegate  to  congress,  he  would  secure  the  division.  The  bargain  was 
made  and  carried  out. 

February  3,  1809,  congress  passed  an  act  separating  the  Indiana 
territory,  by  a  line  running  north  from  Vincennes  to  Canada,  into 
the  two  territories  of  Indiana  and  Illinois. 


CHAPTER  X 
ILLINOIS   (1809-1812) 

TERRITORY  OF  THE  FIRST  CLASS — WAR  OF  1812 — MATTERS  OP  LOCAL  IN- 
TEREST— ILLINOIS  A  SECOND  CLASS  TERRITORY — A  RETROSPECT. 

The  bill  which  passed  congress  and  was  signed  by  the  President 
February  3,  1809,  contained  eight  sections.  The  first — "Be  it  enacted. 
.  .  .  That,  from  and  after  the  first  day  of  March  next,  that  part 
of  the  Indiana  territory  which  lies  west  of  the  Wabash  river,  and  a 
direct  line  drawn  from  Post  Vincennes  due  north,  to  the  territorial  line 
between  the  United  States  and  Canada,  shall,  for  the  purpose  of  tem- 
porary government,  constitute  a  separate  territory  and  be  called  Illi- 
nois." The  second  section  provided  for  a  government  of  the  first  class 
— a  governor,  three  judges,  a  secretary.  The  third  provided  for  their 
appointment  by  the  president.  The  fourth  allowed  the  governor  to 
call  an  election  for  the  purpose  of  determining  the  desire  of  the  people 
to  enter  the  second  grade  of  territorial  government.  And  if  favorable 
then  he  was  to  carry  such  desire  into  effect.  Article  five  prohibited 
Indiana  officials  from  exercising  authority  in  Illinois.  Article  six 
provided  that  all  suits  and  proceedings  in  process  of  being  settled  should 
be  completed  as  if  the  division  had  not  been  made.  Article  seven  guar- 
anteed to  the  Indiana  government  the  current  taxes  due  from  lands 
lying  in  Illinois.  Article  eight  fixed  the  seat  of  government  at  Kas- 
kaskia  until  such  time  as  the  legislature  should  locate  it  elsewhere. 

Nathaniel  Pope  was  appointed  secretary  April  24.  He  was,  for  four 
or  five  years  previous  to  his  appointment,  a  resident  of  St.  Genevieve 
but  practiced  law  in  Illinois.  Ninian  Edwards  was  appointed  governor 
also  on  April  24,  1809.  He  was  a  judge  of  the  court  in  Kentucky.  The 
judges  were  Alexander  Stuart,  Obadiah  Jones,  and  Jesse  B.  Thomas. 
Judge  Stuart  was  transferred  to  Missouri,  and  Stanley  Griswold  filled 
the  vacancy. 

Governor  Edwards  was  a  man  of  unusual  parts.  He  had  a  collegiate 
training  and  was  a  man  of  wonderful  resources.  Henry  Clay  is  said 
to  have  indorsed  Judge  Edwards  for  this  place,  saying,  "I  have  no 
doubt  that  the  whole  representation  from  the  state  (Kentucky)  would 
concur  in  ascribing  to  him  every  qualification  for  the  office  in  question." 

Nathaniel  Pope,  who  was  at  Kaskaskia  much  earlier  than  Governor 
Edwards,  issued  a  proclamation  establishing  the  two  counties  of  Ran- 
dolph and  St.  Clair.  Governor  Edwards  arrived  in  June  and  imme- 
diately called  a  legislative  session  of  the  governor  and  judges.  The 
laws  first  provided  were  those  previously  in  force  in  the  Indiana  terri- 
tory. The  action  of  the  secretary  in  appointing  local  officers  was  con- 

109 


110  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

firmed.  Among  these  territorial  officers  we  may  mention  Robert  Morri- 
son, adjutant  general,  Benjamin  Stephenson,  sheriff  of  Randolph,  and 
John  Hays,  sheriff  of  St.  Clair.  Other  minor  positions  were  filled  in 
the  two  counties. 

The  government  of  the  Illinois  territory  was  now  completely  organ- 
ized and  the  people  had  realized  what  was  for  many  years  a  buoyant 
hope.  They  said  in  favor  of  division,  that  it  would  increase  immigration 
and  bring  prosperity  to  a  lagging  and  unremuneratve  industrial  life. 
They  argued  that  towns  would  spring  up,  farms  would  be  opened,  and 
that  commerce  would  be  greatly  augmented.  Their  prophecy  was  ful- 
filled. 

By  a  law  of  congress,  passed  March  26,  1804,  there  were  established 
three  land  offices — one  at  Kaskaskia,  one  at  Vincennes,  and  one  at  De- 
troit. When  the  United  States  came  into  possession  of  the  public  do- 
main, there  was  no  thought  of  attempting  to  dispose  of  it  in  smaller 
tracts  than  many  thousands  of  acres.  It  was  supposed  that  large  com- 
panies and  wealthy  individuals  would  buy  these  large  tracts  and  then 
go  into  the  retail  business.  When  Mr.  Harrison  was  a  delegate  in  con- 
gress, he  got  a  bill  through  which  reduced  the  tracts  to  one  square  mile 
— 640  acres.  The  price  fixed  was  $2.00  per  acre,  one-fourth  to  be  paid 
in  cash  and  three-fourths  on  credit.  Later  the  size  of  the  tract  was  re- 
duced; so  also  was  the  price.  The  establishing  of  the  land  office  at 
Kaskaskia  in  1804  greatly  increased  the  immigration  to  the  Illinois 
country.  So  much  so  that  the  population  of  Illinois  grew  from  2,500 
in  1800  to  12,282  in  1810,  by  the  census  of  those  dates. 

When  Governor  Edwards  came  to  take  charge  of  affairs  in  the  Illi- 
nois territory,  or  shortly  thereafter,  in  addition  to  the  number  of  settle- 
ments in  the  two  counties  of  Randolph  and  St.  Clair,  there  were  settle- 
ments in  the  territory  composing  the  counties  of  Jackson,  Union,  John- 
son, Massac,  Pope,  Gallatin,  Monroe.  In  spite  of  the  complaints  made 
of  the  drawbacks  of  the  undivided  territory  prior  to  1809,  there  had 
been  a  great  increase  in  population,  in  industries,  in  home-making,  and 
in  all  the  activities  which  were  destined  eventually  'to  make  Illinois  a 
great  state. 

But  shortly  after  Governor  Edwards  arrived  in  the  new  territory, 
the  peace  and  safety  of  the  ten  thousarid  inhabitants  were  threatened. 
The  Indians  had,  in  recent  years,  ceded  nearly  all  their  claims  to  land 
in  Indiana  and  Illinois,  and  they  now  became  dissatisfied,  and  their 
minds  were  inflamed.  Tecumseh  and  the  Prophet  were  busy  inciting 
the  Indians  to  deeds  of  violence.  Almost  constant  interviews  were  go- 
ing on  between  the  Indians  and  those  in  authority  in  the  two  territories. 
The  battle  of  Tippecanoe  was  fought  on  the  6th  of  November,  1811, 
and  while  Illinois  had  no  military  organization  in  the  battle,  yet  there 
were  individuals  from  around  the  salt  works  and  Shawneetown  who 
took  part  in  the  engagement.  Col.  Isaac  White  of  Shawneetown,  a 
lessee  of  the  salt  works,  was  a  personal  friend  of  Governor  Harrison. 
He  took  part  in  the  camapign  and  was  killed  in  the  battle  above  re- 
ferred to. 

Those  who  favored  separation  of  Illinois  from  Indiana  had  argued 
that  it  would  greatly  increase  the  immigration  into  the  territory  and 
in  other  ways  greatly  benefit  the  territory.  These  prophecies  were  ful- 
filled. The  land  offices  spoken  of  above  greatly  stimulated  the  sale  of 
land  to  actual  settlers. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  111 

When  Governor  Edwards  had  gotten  fairly  settled  in  his  official 
home  as  governor  of  the  new  territory,  the  citizens  of  Kaskaskia  and 
Randolph  counties  presented  him  with  a  memorial  pledging  him  their 
hearty  support  in  the  discharge  of  his  official  duties.  In  this  address 
they  call  particular  attention  to  the  hard  fight  they  had  gone  through 
to  get  the  territory  separated  from  Indiana.  They  mention  the  hang- 
ing of  Jesse  B.  Thomas  in  effigy  at  Vincennes  in  condemnation  of  his 
efforts  to  secure  the  separation,  and  also  the  assassination  of  an  advo- 
cate of  separation  in  Kaskaskia.  Governor  Edwards  says  when  he  came 
to  the  territory  he  found  it  divided  into  violent  political  factions.  He 
endeavored,  and  really  succeeded,  in  holding  himself  aloof  from  these 
ruinous  factional  quarrels. 

But  Governor  Edwards  had  harely  gotten  the  civil  and  military 
organizations  well  established  before  there  began  a  series  of  difficulties 
with  the  Indians  which  were  a  source  of  great  anxiety  not  only  to  the 
governor,  but  to  the  whole  people.  Several  massacres  occurred  in  the 
region  of  the  Illinois  river,  and  there  followed  long  interviews  and 
exchanges  of  linguistic  courtesies.  The  Indians  were  greatly  disturbed 
everywhere  in  the  west.  The  battle  of  Tippecanoe  was  fought  in  1811, 
and  in  1812  war  broke  out  between  the  United  States  and  England. 
The  Indians  throughout  the  west  and  particularly  around  the  lakes 
sided  with  the  British. 

WAR  OF  1812 

We  may  state  here  that  while  the  territory  was  absorbed  in  the  War 
of  1812,  the  people  voted  to  pass  from  a  territory  of  the  first  class  to  one 
of  the  second  class. 

Governor  Edwards  was  active  in  his  efforts  to  provide  defenses  for 
the  American  settlements  in  the  Illinois  territory.  A  line  of  block- 
houses was  built  reaching  from  west  to  east.  Unfortunately  it  is  difficult 
to  locate  these  block-houses  and  forts  accurately.  In  some  counties  either 
by  tradition  or  by  records  some  of  them  can  be  located.  They  were  some- 
times quite  extensive  affairs.  The  block-house  was  often  enclosed  by  a 
stockade  large  enough  to  shelter  the  stock  of  the  neighborhood.  The 
block-house  was  often  nothing  more  than  a  strong  log  house  with  port- 
holes. From  the  best  information  now  available  block-houses,  forts,  or 
stockades  were  erected  at  or  near  the  following  places :  One  at  Carlyle ; 
one  near  Aviston  in  Clinton  county  called  Journey  '&  or  Tourney 's  fort ; 
two  in  the  western  part  of  Bond  county,  called  Hill's  fort  and  Jones' 
fort;  one  at  the  edge  of  Looking  Glass  Prairie  on  Silver  creek  in  St. 
Clair  county,  called  Chamber's  fort;  two,  Middleton's  and  Going's,  on 
the  Kaskaskia;  Nat  Hill's  fort  on  Doza  creek;  Jordan's  block-house  in 
the  northwestern  corner  of  Franklin  county ;  one  southwest  of  Marion, 
Williamson  county ;  one  southeast  of  Marion  on  Saline  river ;  Stone  Fort 
on  the  Saline  river;  one  at  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois  river  on  the  west 
side ;  one  nineteen  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois ;  and  lastly  Fort 
Russell  which  was  probably  the  most  complete  and  pretentious  fortifi- 
cation in  the  state  in  this  war.  It  was  located  about  one  and  a  half 
miles  northwest  of  Edwardsville.  It  included  a  substantial  palisade  with 
buildings  for  supplies,  headquarters,  and  barracks  for  soldiers.  Some 
cannon  were  brought  there  from  old  Fort  Chartres.  This  fort  was 
named  after  Col.  William  Russell  of  Kentucky  who  had  command  of 
the  rangers  in  the  War  of  1812. 


112 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


As  soon  as  war  was  declared  by  the  United  States,  the  Indians  in 
northern  and  central  Illinois  became  exceedingly  warlike.  Governor 
Edwards  had  taken  the  precaution  to  have  his  militia  well  organized. 
Some  500  of  them  were  called  into  service.  Colonel  Russell  was  sent 
into  Illinois  to  organize  the  United  States  rangers.  Colonel  Russell  was 
a  Kentuckian.  Several  companies  of  the  regiment  of  rangers  were  en- 
listed from  Southern  Illinois.  Two  expeditions  were  made  from  Fort 
Russell  northward  into  the  central  part  of  the  state.  One  in  1812  and 
one  in  1813.  Both  had  Peoria  as  their  destination.  But  no  real  battles 
were  fought  with  the  Indians.  The  first  expedition  captured  several 
families  of  French  who  lived  about  Peoria  who  were  thought  to  be  sym- 
pathetic with  the  Indians.  They  were  brought  to  a  point  just  below 
Alton  and  there  set  ashore  without  food  or  shelter,  and  after  much  suf- 


STOCKADE  AND  BLOCKHOUSES,  SUCH  AS  WERE  BUILT  ABOUT  1812 

fering  they  reached  St.  Louis.     The  "Life  and  Times  of  Ninian  Ed- 
wards" says  they  were  landed  in  St.  Louis. 

The  most  important  event  that  occurred  in  Illinois  during  the  War 
of  1812,  was  the  Fort  Dearborn  massacre.  Fort  Dearborn  was  a  stock- 
ade and  block-house  fort  just  at  the  mouth  of  the  Chicago  river.  It  was 
occupied  by  government  troops  as  early  as  1803.  In  1812  there  were 
probably  a  half  dozen  houses  in  Chicago  outside  of  the  buildings  about 
the  stockade.  The  officer  in  command  was  Capt.  Nathan  Heald.  Other 
officers  were  Lieutenant  Liani  F.  Helm,  Ensign  George  Ronan,  Surgeon 
Isaac  Van  Voorhis.  John  Kinzie  was  the  principal  Indian  trader. 
There  were  seventy-four  soldiers  in  the  garrison.  By  the  middle  of  the 
summer  of  1812,  the  Indians  became  very  demonstrative  and  two  mur- 
ders were  committed,  and  other  violent  conduct  engaged  in.  Captain 
Heald  had  received  orders  to  evacuate  the  fort  and  move  his  command 
to  Fort  Wayne.  He  was  advised  by  friendly  Indians  to  prepare  for  a 
siege,  or  'to  leave  the  fort  at  once.  He  did  not  take  this  advice  but  noti- 
fied the  Indians  that  he  expected  to  abandon  the  fort  and  that  he  would 
distribute  the  public  property  among  them.  This  action  on  the  part  of 
the  commanding  officer,  it  was  supposed,  would  greatly  please  the  In- 
dians and  this  would  guarantee  his  safe  passage  to  Fort  Wayne.  This 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


113 


MAP  OF 

ILLINOIS 

SHOWING 
COUNTY  BOUNOVIItS 

1812. 

(  ILLINOIS  TY.) 


MAP  OF  THE  SETTLED  PORTIONS  OF  ILLINOIS  AT  TIME  OF  THE  WAR  OF  1812 


Vol.      J— 8 


114 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


decision  on  the  part  of  Captain  Heald  was  strongly  opposed  by  the  of- 
ficers and  Kinzie,  the  trader.  As  soon  as  this  word  was  circulated  among 
the  Indians,  they  became  insolent  and  treated  the  authority  of  Captain 
Heald  with  contempt.  By  the  12th  of  August  the  Indians  had  gathered 
in  large  numbers  and  a  council  was  held  in  which  Captain  Heald  told 
the  Indians  his  plans.  He  proposed  to  distribute  among  them  all  his 
public  stores,  and  in  return  they  were  to  furnish  him  an  escort  of  500 
warriors  to  Port  Wayne.  There  immediately  grew  up  in  the  fort  the 
greatest  fear  for  the  safety  of  the  little  garrison.  Fear  grew  to  despair, 
and  open  rebellion  against  the  order  of  the  commander  was  imminent. 
Captain  Heald  decided  that  he  would  destroy  the  guns,  ammunition, 
and  liquor  in  the  fort,  as  these  in  the  hands  of  the  Indians  would  only 
be  the  means  of  death  to  the  garrison. 


OLD  FORT  DEARBORN  IN  1812 


On  the  13th  of  August  the  goods  were  distributed  among  the  Indians. 
They  soon  discovered  that  there  were  certain  things  which  they  expected 
that  they  did  not  receive,  and  they  began  to  show  their  dissatisfaction 
and  disappointment.  On  the  14th  Captain  Wells,  a  brother  to  Mrs. 
Heald,  arrived  with  some  friendly  Miamis.  He  had  been  brought  up 
among  the  Indians  and  he  knew  from  what  he  saw  and  heard  that  "all 
was  not  well." 

On  the  morning  of  the  15th  the  sun  rose  gloriously  over  Lake  Michi- 
gan. By  nine  o'clock  the  little  army  was  ready  to  depart  for  Fort 
Wayne.  Each  soldier  was  given  twenty-five  rounds  of  ammunition. 
The  baggage  wagons,  the  ambulance  and  the  little  army  proceeded  on 
their  fatal  journey. 

When  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  fort  they  discovered  Indians  hidden 
behind  sand  hills,  ready  to  attack.  The  soldiers  were  fired  upon  and 
returned  the  fire.  The  conflict  then  became  general  and  lasted  for  some 
time.  Finally  after  nearly  half  of  the  soldiers  had  been  killed,  the 
remnant  surrendered.  In  the  agreement  to  surrender  no  stipulation  was 
made  as  to  the  treatment  of  the  wounded,  and  it  is  said  by  eye  witnesses 
that  their  treatment  by  the  infuriated  Indians  beggars  all  description. 
Twenty-six  regulars,  twelve  militia,  two  women  and  twelve  children  were 


HISTOKY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  115 

left  dead  on  the  field  of  conflict.    The  prisoners  were  scattered  here  and 
there  but  were  finally  ransomed. 

The  fort  was  destroyed  by  the  Indians,  but  was  rebuilt  and  occupied 
in  1816  or  1817.  It  was  finally  abandoned  in  1836. 

MATTERS  OP  LOCAL  INTEREST 

It  remains  to  record  a  final  campaign  conducted  by  Major  Zachary 
Taylor,  later  president  of  the  United  States,  supported  by  Illinois  troops. 
It  was  very  necessary  to  have  a  strong  fort  and  garrison  somewhere  in 
the  region  of  Rock  Island,  and  the  expedition  was  intended  to  establish 
such  fort  and  garrison.  The  expedition  which  moved  up  the  Mississippi 
consisted  of  40  United  States  regulars  and  294  Illinois  troops  under 
the  command  of  Capt.  Samuel  Whiteside  and  Nelson  Rector,  two  noted 
Indian  fighters — the  whole  under  command  of  Colonel  Taylor.  The 
expedition  started  August  23,  1814.  It  moved  up  the  Mississippi  and 
above  Rock  Island  encountered  strong  opposition  from  the  Indians,  and 
learning  that  British  troops  were  in  the  vicinity  with  artillery,  the  boats 
descended  the  river.  The  British  had  been  able  to  bring  their  cannon  to 
the  banks  of  the  river  in  time  to  bombard  the  retreating  vessels.  It  was 
remarkable  that  the  boats  were  not  sunk  and  all  on  board  killed.  Fort 
Edwards  was  built  in  the  present  county  of  Hancock  about  where  War- 
saw is,  and  after  holding  this  point  a  short  time  the  position  was  evacu- 
ated and  the  troops  returned  to  St.  Louis. 

Among  the  Illinois  officers  who  won  distinction  in  the  War  of  1812 
were — William  and  Samuel  Whitesides,  cousins,  who  lived  in  the  Ameri- 
can Bottoms,  at  a  place  called  Whitesides  Station,  a  family  fort,  prob- 
ably of  the  block-house  form.  These  two  pioneers  acted  as  captains  in 
Russell's  rangers  and  became  very  noted  because  of  their  activity  in 
the  defense  of  the  American  families.  James  B.  Moore  whose  father 
was  one  of  the  spies  sent  by  General  Clark  to  Kaskaskia  in  the  year  1777, 
was  a  captain  in  Russell 's  rangers.  Jacob  Short  who  settled  near  Belle- 
fontaine  in  1796  was  captain  of  a  ranger  company.  Others  who  won 
distinction  were  John  Moredock ;  William  and  Nathan  Boone,  the  former 
of  whom  was  paymaster  for  a  portion  of  the  rangers.  He  paid  them  in 
rix-dollars,  a  foreign  silver  coin  of  the  value  of  60  cents  to  one  dollar  and 
fifteen  cents.  William,  Stephen,  Charles,  Elias,  and  Nelson  Rector  were 
all  prominent  officers  in  the  war.  Nathaniel  Journey  was  an  officer  part 
of  the  time,  but  was  engaged  chiefly  in  guarding  settlers  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  Carlyle.  Willis  Hargrave  was  captain  of  a  company  of  independ- 
ent rangers  near  the  Wabash.  Later  he  was  a  major  in  the  "Spy  Bat- 
talion" in  the  Black  Hawk  war.  Captain  Samuel  Judy  was  also  an  ac- 
tive man  in  the  war.  In  1816  at  St.  Louis,  Gov.  Ninian  Edwards  of 
Illinois  territory,  Gov.  William  Clark  of  Missouri  territory,  and  Auguste 
Choteau  of  St.  Louis,  consummated  a  treaty  with  the  chiefs  and  war- 
riors of  the  Ottawas,  the  Chippewas,  and  the  Pottawatomies  in  which 
treaty  the  tribes  ceded  all  lands  south  of  a  line  running  east  and  west 
through  the  south  end  of  Lake  Michigan.  They  also  ceded  a  strip  of 
land  ten  miles  in  width  from  the  mouth  of  the  Fox  river  to  the  lake  at 
Chicago.  This  strip  of  land  was  acquired  by  the  government  with  the 
expectation  that  at  an  early  date  the  government  would  build  a  canal 
from  Lake  Michigan  to  the  head  of  navigation  on  the  Illinois  river. 
This  expectation  was  realized  when  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  canal  was 
constructed. 


116  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

A  study  of  the  roster  of  officers  and  men  who  took  part  in  this  bor- 
der warfare,  reveals  a  number  of  names  prominent  in  the  history  of  the 
state.  Prom  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  this  struggle  there  were  prob- 
ably two  or  three  thousand  citizens  enrolled  in  the  service.  Scores  of 
lives  were  lost — most  of  them  near  their  houses.  It  remains  to  tell  a 
story  of  horrid  butchery  which  occurred  on  Wood  river  in  Madison 
county,  on  the  10th  day  of  July,  1814.  Mrs.  Rachel  Reagan  and  two 
children  went  to  spend  the  day  at  the  house  of  William  Moore.  In  the 
afternoon  on  her  way  home,  she  came  by  another  neighbor's  house,  Cap- 
tain Abel  Moore.  From  the  latter  place  she  was  accompanied  by  four 
small  children,  two  of  William  Moore 's  and  two  of  Abel  Moore 's.  When 
the  little  company  of  seven  were  between  the  homes  of  Abel  Moore  and 
Mrs.  Reagan,  they  were  attacked  by  savages  and  six  killed  outright ;  the 
seventh,  a  little  boy,  was  found  alive  but  died  from  the  effects  of  his 
wounds.  William  Moore  returned  home  from  Fort  Butler  (near  St. 
Jacobs)  and  finding  the  children  absent  went  in  search  of  them.  They 
were  found  but  the  Indians  were  still  lurking  in  the  immediate  locality 
and  the  bodies  were  not  recovered  till  the  next  morning.  The  two  forts, 
Russell  and  Butler,  were  notified  and  a  pursuing  party  organized.  The 
savages  were  followed  to  a  point  north  of  Jacksonville  and  one  of  them 
killed,  the  rest  escaped.  More  than  fifty  non-combatants  lost  their  lives 
in  Illinois  during  this  war. 

ILLINOIS  A  SECOND  CLASS  TERRITORY 

The  fourth  section  of  the  act  of  congress  of  February,  1809,  dividing 
the  Indiana  territory,  provided  that  so  much  of  the  ordinance  of  1787 
as  applied  to  the  organization  of  a  legislative  assembly,  should  apply 
to  the  government  of  the  Illinois  territory  whenever  satisfactory  evi- 
dence should  be  given  to  the  governor  that  it  was  the  wish  of  the  ma- 
jority of  the  freeholders,  though  there  might  not  be  5,000  legal  voters 
as  provided  in  the  ordinance. 

By  1812  considerable  interest  was  manifested  relative  to  the  change 
from  the  first  to  a  second  grade  territory. 

The  Ordinance  of  1787  permitted  only  freeholders  to  vote,  and  so 
when  Governor  Edwards  called  the  election  in  the  spring  of  1812,  to 
determine  the  wish  of  the  voters  on  the  proposed  change  to  a  territory 
of  the  second  grade,  there  were  fewer  than  400  votes  cast,  but  they 
were  nearly  unanimous  in  favor  of  the  proposed  change.  In  May  fol- 
lowing this  vote,  congress  enfranchised  all  white  male  persons  over 
twenty-one  years  of  age,  and  advanced  Illinois  to  the  second  grade. 

On  September  16,  1812,  the  governor  and  judges  acting  as  a  legis- 
lative body  created  three  new  counties.  The  two  old  ones  were  St. 
Clair  and  Randolph,  and  the  three  new  ones  were  Madison,  Gallatin, 
and  Johnson.  On  the  same  day  an  election  was  ordered  in  these  five 
counties  for  five  members  of  the  legislative  council,  and  for  seven  mem- 
bers of  the  house  of  representatives,  and  for  a  delegate  in  congress. 
The  election  was  held  October  8,  9,  10. 

Those  chosen  were,  for  the  lower  house,  from  Madison,  Wm.  Jones; 
St.  Clair,  Jacob  Short  and  Joshua  Oglesby;  Randolph,  George  Fisher; 
Johnson,  John  Grammar;  Gallatin,  Philip  Trammel  and  Alexander 
Wilson.  Those  chosen  for  the  council  were,  from  Madison,  Samuel 
Judy;  St.  Clair,  Wm.  Biggs ;  Randolph,  Pierre  Menard;  Johnson, 
Thomas  Ferguson ;  Gallatin,  Benjamin  Talbot. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  117 

This  general  assembly  met  at  Kaskaskia  November  25,  and  proceeded 
to  organize  by  choosing  Pierre  Menard  president  of  the  council  and 
George  Fisher  speaker  of  the  house.  Reynolds  says  the  whole  of  the 
assembly  boarded  at  one  house  and  slept  in  one  room.  The  work  before 
this  first  session  was  to  re-enact  the  laws  for  the  territory  which  served 
while  the  territory  was  of  the  first  class,  to  adopt  military  measures 
for  the  defense  of  the  people  against  the  Indians,  and  to  provide  rev- 
enue for  the  maintenance  of  the  territorial  government.  The  legislature 
was  in  session  from  the  25th  of  November  to  the  26th  of  December,  fol- 
lowing. This  legislature  elected  Shadrach  Bond  as  delegate  to  con- 
gress. He  took  his  seat  in  the  fall  of  1812.  During  his  term  of  office 
in  congress  Bond  secured  the  passage  of  the  first  pre-emption  law  of 
Illinois.  This  law  provided  that  a  man  who  settled  upon  a  piece  of 
land  and  made  an  improvement  while  it  was  still  government  land, 
should  have  the  right  to  buy  the  tract  so  improved  in  preference  to 
any  one  else.  This  law  prevented  persons  from  buying  lands  which 
some  one  else  had  improved  to  the  detriment  of  the  one  who  made  the 
improvement. 

The  laws  which  were  in  force  in  Illinois  as  a  first  class  territory 
were  all  taken  from  the  laws  of  some  older  state.  Those  passed  by  the 
legislature  while  the  territory  was  in  the  second  grade  were  usually 
of  the  same  nature  as  those  in  use  under  the  first  grade.  It  will  be 
very  interesting  as  well  as  quite  instructive  for  us  to  know  some  of 
these  laws.  A  few  are  given  in  substance : 

For  burglary,  whipping  on  the  bare  back,  thirty-nine  stripes.  Lar- 
ceny, thirty-one  stripes.  Horse-stealing,  fifty  lashes,  and  one  hundred 
for  second  offense.  Hog-stealing,  twenty-five  to  thirty-nine  lashes.  Big- 
amy, one  hundred  to  three  hundred  stripes.  Children  or  servants  who 
were  disobedient  could  be  whipped  ten  lashes  by  consent  of  the  justice. 
If  a  man  were  fined  and  could  not  pay,  his  time  could  be  sold  by  the 
sheriff.  Standing  in  the  pillory  was  a  common  mode  of  punishment. 
Branding  was  authorized  in  extreme  cases.  There  were  five  crimes  for 
which  the  penalty  was  death  by  hanging — they  were  treason,  murder, 
arson,  rape,  and  for  second  conviction  of  horse-stealing.  "For  revel- 
ing, quarreling,  fighting,  _  profanely  cursing,  disorderly  behavior  at 
divine  worship,  and  hunting  on  the  Sabbath,  penalties  by  fines  were 
prescribed. 

The  laws  providing  for  the  collection  of  debts  were  all  quite  favor- 
able to  the  creditor.  No  property,  real  or  personal,  was  exempt  from 
judgment  and  execution ;  and  if  the  property  did  not  satisfy  a  debt, 
the  debtor  could  be  cast  into  prison. 

By  an  act  of  December  24,  1814,  entitled  "To  promote  retaliation 
upon  hostile  Indians"  we  see  to  what  ends  the  settlers  were  driven  to 
defend  themselves  against  the  savage  redmen.  It  was  enacted  that — 
(abridged)  : 

1.  When  the  Indians  make  incursions  into  any  locality  and  kill  or 
commit  other  depredations,  any  citizen  shall  be  paid  $50.00  for  killing 
or  capturing  such  Indian.     If  killed  or  captured  by  a  ranger,  $25.00. 

2.  Any  person  receiving  permission  from  a  commanding  officer  to 
go  into  the  Indian  territory  and  who  shall  kill  an  Indian,  shall  be  paid 
$100.00. 

3.  Rangers  in  parties  of  fifteen  who  make  incursions  into  the  coun- 
try of  hostile  Indians  shall  receive  $50.00  for  each  Indian  killed,  or 
squaw  taken  prisoner. 


118  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

Shadrach  Bond  was  the  first  delegate  from  Illinois  to  sit  in  congress. 
He  was  elected  in  1812.  During  his  term  as  delegate  in  congress  he 
secured  the  enactment  of  the  first  pre-emption  law  ever  put  upon  the 
statute  books  in  the  United  States.  This  law  will  be  better  appreciated 
when  we  understand  some  of  the  practices  of  frontier  life. 

The  wave  of  immigration  often  traveled  westward  faster  than  the 
surveyors  did.  In  such  cases  the  settler  never  knew  just  where  his  land 
would  fall  when  the  region  was  platted  by  the  surveyor.  And  again, 
after  the  surveyor  had  done  his  work  it  often  happened  that  the  sur- 
veyed land  was  not  placed  on  the  market  for  a  number  of  years.  The 
settler  usually  selected  his  lands  and  made  improvements  with  the  ex- 
pectation that  he  would  buy  the  land  when  it  came  on  the  market. 
Unprincipled  men  would  watch  and  would  often  step  in  ahead  of  the 
settler  at  the  land  office  and  buy  the  improved  land  at  government 
prices.  This  often  resulted  in  violence  and  bloodshed. 

Bond's  pre-emption  law  recognized  the  settler's  equity  in  the  im- 
provements, and  prevented  anyone  else  from  buying  the  land  without 
the  consent  of  the  one  who  had  improved  it.  This  was  legislating  in 
the  interest  of  the  pioneers  who  had  borne  the  burden  and  the  heat 
of  the  day. 

There  was  a  rapid  increase  in  the  population  of  the  territory  of 
Illinois  from  the  day  it  became  a  territory  of  the  second  grade.  New 
counties  were  added  to  the  five  previously  named.  The  new  ones  were 
— Edwards  and  White  in  1815;  Monroe,  Crawford,  Jackson,  Pope, 
Bond,  in  1816;  Union,  Franklin,  and  Washington  in  1818. 

It  should  be  kept  in  mind  that  some  of  these  counties  were  organized 
with  very  few  people.  However,  the  population  was  greatly  multiply- 
ing, for  by  1818  there  were  nearly  40,000  people  within  the  state. 

The  territorial  legislature  of  Illinois  held  three  general  sessions — 
one  in  1812,  one  in  1814,  and  one  in  1816.  This  last  legislature  held 
two  sessions  on  account  of  the  extra  work  in  admitting  Illinois  as  a  state. 

Our  neighboring  states  of  Ohio,  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  and  Missouri 
had  each  a  system  of  banking  which  furnished  an  abundance  of  money ; 
indeed  very  much  of  this  money  found  its  way  into  Illinois.  The  legis- 
lature of  1816  passed  a  law  chartering  banks  at  Shawneetown,  Kaskas- 
kia  and  Edwardsville.  We  shall  speak  of  these  more  fully  in  a  later 
chapter. 

There  was  a  charter  issued  by  the  legislature  of  1817-18  incorporat- 
ing the  city  and  bank  of  Cairo.  At  this  time  there  was  nothing  in  the 
nature  of  a  town  or  city  where  Cairo  now  stands.  The  lower  part  of 
the  peninsula  was  claimed  by  several  brothers  by  the  name  of  Bird. 
The  company  called  the  City  and  Bank  of  Cairo  consisted  of  John  G. 
Comyges,  Thos.  H.  Harris,  Charles  Slade,  Shadrach  Bond,  Michael 
Jones,  Warren  Brown,  Edward  Humphries,  and  Charles  W.  Hunter. 

They  proposed  to  sell  2,000  Cairo  city  lots  at  $150  each,  put  $50 
out  of  each  sale  into  levees,  and  a  hundred  dollars  into  a  bank.  The 
bank  was  opened  in  Kaskaskia  in  a  brick  building  adjacent  to  the  land 
office.  The  bill  seen  on  a  preceding  page  bears  date  January  1,  1841. 
This  bill  was  issued  to  J.  Hall  and  was  signed  by  T.  Jones,  cashier,  and 
D.  J.  Baker,  president.  David  Jewett  Baker  was  a  prominent  lawyer 
in  Illinois  from  1819  till  his  death  in  1869.  The  charter  of  this  bank 
was  for  twenty  years,  but  in  1837  its  charter  was  extended  another 
twenty  years,  but  in  1843  it  was  annulled  and  the  bank  closed  its  doors 
and  wound  up  its  business. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  119 

A  RETROSPECT 

The  year  1818  was  a  notable  one  in  the  history  of  Illinois.  In  this 
year  was  realized  an  event  which  many  had  looked  forward  to  with 
great  interest ;  this  was  the  year  when  the  state  became  of  age.  Its  his- 
tory reached  back  to  the  discovery  by  Marquette  and  Joliet,  nearly  a 
hundred  and  fifty  years.  It  had  actually  been  settled  by  whites  for 
one  hundred  and  eighteen  years. 

Its  people  had  lived  successively  under  three  governments — the 
French,  the  English,  and  the  American.  Immigration  had  reached  it 
from  three  sources — the  north,  the  south,  and  the  east.  Each  of  the 
three  quarters  brought  its  own  peculiar  people.  No  other  district  of 
equal  area  created  such  widespread  interest  in  Europe  as  the  Illinois 
country.  The  fame  of  its  rich  soil,  its  noble  rivers,  its  wide  stretching 
lake,  its  abundance  of  wild  game,  its  famous  wealth  of  mines,  and  its 
geographical  situation  was  spread  abroad  by  every  traveller  who 
chanced  to  traverse  its  boundless  prairies  or  to  thread  its  silvery  streams. 

For  a  century  after  the  planting  of  the  first  permanent  settlement 
the  growth  of  institutional  life  was  very  slow.  The  people  for  a  large 
part,  were  unambitious,  thriftless,  and  lived  without  purpose.  Those 
who  were  responsible  for  the  continuous  ongoing  of  the  settlements 
looked  upon  them  as  a  means  only  to  an  end,  which  end  was  not  within 
the  grasp  of  those  who  were  building  more  wisely  than  they  knew. 
The  French  settlements  on  the  Mississippi  could  never  have  lived 
through  the  century  following  their  founding,  had  it  not  been  for  the 
strong  arm  of  the  royal  government,  and  the  equally  strong  support 
of  the  church.  How  different  from  the  Anglo-Saxon  settlements  on  the 
Atlantic  coast  which  prospered  in  spite  of  both  royalty  and  ecclesias- 
ticism. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century  there  were  probably  less 
than  3,000  souls  in  the  territory.  They  were  distributed  chiefly  along 
the  Mississippi,  a  few  being  on  the  Ohio,  and  a  few  along  the  Wabash 
river. 

The  chief  lines  of  industrial  life  were  farming,  commerce,  trading, 
manufacturing,  lumbering,  fishing,  etc.  Wheat  was  raised  in  large 
quantities  in  the  American  bottom.  The  harvesting  was  done  with  the 
old  fashioned  sickle.  Reynolds  says  there  were  no  cradles  in  those  days. 
The  wheat  was  threshed  with  flail  or  tramped  out  by  means  of  horses^ 
The  wheat  was  ground  at  water  mills  or  horse  mills. 

In  1806  the  nearest  gristmill  to  the  people  south  and  east  of  Kas- 
kaskia  was  John  Edgar's  mill  near  Kaskaskia.  Corn  was  raised  but 
not  so  extensively  as  wheat.  Hogs  were  fattened  by  allowing  them  to 
feed  upon  the  mast  which  in  that  early  day  was  abundant.  The  corn 
was  used  to  make  "lye  hominy"  and  "samp;"  whiskey  was  distilled 
by  some  of  the  settlers  who  had  come  from  Tennessee,  Kentucky,  or 
the  mountainous  districts  of  Virginia.  Considerable  whiskey  was 
drunk,  especially  on  public  days.  Fruits  were  plentifully  grown.  The 
French  villagers  usually  had  a  few  fruit  trees  in  their  back  yards.  Flax 
was  grown  in  considerable  quantities.  Reynolds  says  that  half  of  the 
population  made  their  living  by  the  chase,  as  coureiirs  de  bois,  or  keel 
boating.  The  lead  mines  in  the  northwest  part  of  the  state  and  in 
southwestern  Wisconsin  furnished  an  excellent  market  for  the  surplus 
food  products  of  the  Illinois  settlements.  The  transportation  of  this 
provision  to  the  mines  and  the  return  with  lead  down  the  river,  gave 
work  for  a  large  contingent  of  river  men. 


120 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


Lumber  was  not  extensively  used.  But  there  were  a  few  mills  for 
making  lumber.  The  whip  saw  was  the  chief  dependence  for  sawing 
boards,  but  in  about  1800  a  water  mill  for  both  sawing  and  grinding 
was  erected  on  Horse  creek.  The  lumber  was  used  quite  largely  in 
building  flat  boats  for  the  river  trade.  Some  of  it,  of  course,  was  used 
in  the  construction  of  houses. 

Among  the  limited  kinds  of  manufacturing,  the  making  of  flour 
was  perhaps  the  most  general.  This  flour  was  marketed  in  St.  Louis, 
in  the  lead  mines,  in  New  Orleans,  in  the  eastern  states,  and  some  of  it 
is  said  to  have  been  shipped  to  Europe.  Salt  was  made  at  the  salines, 
in  what  is  now  Gallatin  county,  also  in  Jackson  county  on  Big  Muddy, 
in  Monroe,  seven  or  eight  miles  west  of  Waterloo,  in  Bond,  and  possibly 
in  other  localities.  There  were  few  tanneries,  though  Conrad  Will  had 


RUINS  OP  AN  OLD  MILL  BUILT  IN  THE  EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY,  NEAR 
KASKASKIA.    THE  BURR-STONES  WERE  BROUGHT  FROM  FRANCE 

one  in  Jackson  county  as  early  as  1814.  It  is  said  that  the  French 
women  did  not  take  kindly  to  such  work  as  making  butter,  spinning, 
weaving,  etc.  Blacksmiths  were  scarce,  and  so  the  wagons  of  those 
early  days  were  made  chiefly  of  wood,  as  were  also  the  plows. 

Schools  were  scarce.  It  is  said  that  the  Jesuits  had  a  school  in 
Kaskaskia  in  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century.  Samuel  J.  Seely 
is  said  to  have  been  the  first  American  school  teacher  in  Illinois.  He 
taught  school  in  New  Design.  He  came  there  as  early  as  1783  and 
taught  in  an  abandoned  squatter's  cabin.  The  school  was  continued 
the  next  year  by  Francis  Clark,  and  he  was  followed  by  an  Irishman 
named  Halfpenny.  Reynolds  calls  Halfpenny  the  "School  Master  Gen- 
eral of  Illinois,"  because  he  taught  in  so  many  localities.  He  built  a 
water  mill  on  Fountaine  creek,  not  far  from  Waterloo,  in  1795.  Mon- 
roe had  schools  as  early  as  1784.  Randolph  had  a  school  as  early  as 
1790.  The  teacher  was  John  Doyle,  a  soldier  with  Colonel  Clark  in 
1778.  A  Mr.  Davis,  an  old  sailor,  taught  in  the  fort  in  Baldwin  pre- 
cinct in  1816.  John  Bradsbury,  "faithful  but  not  learned,"  taught  a 
school  in  Madison  county  near  Collinsville  as  early  as  1804.  John  At- 
water  opened  a  school  near  Edwardsville  in  1807.  St.  Clair  county 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  121 

had  for  a  pioneer  teacher  John  Messenger,  who  was  also  a  surveyor. 
Schools  were  opened  at  Turkey  Hill  in  1808  by  John  Bradley,  and  at 
Shiloh  in  1811. 

The  school  furniture  was  as  primitive  as  the  school  house.  The 
seats  were  made  of  puncheons,  with  four  legs  set  into  auger  holes. 
Often  the  seat  was  too  high  for  the  little  fellows;  and  they  could 
amuse  themselves  by  swinging  their  legs  vigorously.  There  were  no 
desks  except  for  the  older  pupils  who  took  writing  lessons.  Stout 
pegs  of  sufficient  length  were  set  into  auger  holes  in  the  wall,  so  as  to 
slope  downward ;  on  these  supports,  at  convenient  height,  was  fastened 
the  smoothed  puncheon.  Thus  the  writing  pupils  sat  or  stood  facing 
the  wall.  A  pail  or  a  "piggin"  of  water  with  a  gourd  instead  of 
tumbler  or  mug,  was  an  essential  part  of  the  furniture.  It  was  a  re- 
ward of  merit  to  be  allowed  to  go  to  the  spring  or  well  to  fill  the 
bucket  or  piggin. 

In  an  earlier  day  the  Catholic  church  was  the  only  religious  organ- 
ization. At  Kaskaskia  was  the  mission  of  the  Immaculate  Conception. 
This  mission  is  said  to  have  been  founded  by  Father  Marquette  as 
early  as  1675  near  the  present  town  of  Utica.  It  was  moved  to  Kas- 
kaskia about  1700.  About  the  same  time  a  mission  was  founded  at 
•Cahokia,  and  later  one  at  Fort  Chartres.  The  mission  of  those  early 
days  served  two  general  purposes — one  to  serve  as  a  mile  stone  in  the 
wanderings  of  the  voyagers  and  explorers,  and  as  place  for  spiritual 
invigoration ;  the  other  as  a  center  around  which  the  natives  could 
be  gathered  for  religious  instruction.  The  value  of  these  early  mis- 
sionary efforts  from  the  point  of  view  of  the  conversion  of  the  In- 
dians has  probably  been  overestimated.  Marquette  reports  only  the 
baptizing  of  a  dying  infant  at  the  end  of  three  days'  hard  preaching 
among  the  Kaskaskia  Indians.  Father  Marest  says,  "Nothing  is  more 
difficult  than  the  conversion  of  these  Indians.  Religion  among  them 
does  not  take  deep  root,  as  should  be  desired,  and  there  are  but  few 
souls  who  from  time  to  time  give  themselves  truly  to  God."  Father 
Membre  says,  "With  regard  to  conversions  I  cannot  rely  upon  any. 
We  baptized  some  dying  children  and  two  or  three  dying  persons  who 
manifested  proper  dispositions."  Father  Vivier,  a  Jesuit,  said,  "The 
only  good  they  (the  missionaries)  can  do  them  is  the  administration 
of  baptism  to  children  who  are  at  the  point  of  death,"  etc.  But  it 
must  not  be  thought  that  the  work  of  the  Catholic  church  in  the  Illi- 
nois country  was  wholly  fruitless.  The  godly  life  of  the  priests  ex- 
erted its  influence  upon  the  savages  whenever  the  two  came  in  con- 
tact. 

There  were  three  leading  Protestant  churches  represented  in  Illi- 
nois prior  to  the  admission  of  the  state  into  the  union.  These  were 
in  order  of  their  coming,  the  Baptists,  the  Methodists,  and  the  Presby- 
terians. The  Baptists  were  represented  in  Illinois  as  early  as  1787.  In 
that  year  the  Rev.  James  Smith,  from  Lincoln  county,  Kentucky,  came 
to  the  New  Design  settlement  and  enffasred  in  evangelistic  work.  Smith 
was  followed  by  the  Rev.  John  K.  Simpson  and  his  son,  they  by  Rev. 
Smith,  who  had  previously  returned  to  Kentucky.  Rev.  Josiah  Dodge 
came  from  Kentucky  to  visit  his  brother,  who  lived  at  St.  Genevieve, 
and  visited  the  settlers  about  New  Design.  Reynolds  says  that  in 
February,  1794,  they  cut  the  ice  in  Fountaine  creek,  and  Rev.  Dodge 
baptized  James  Lemen,  Sr.,  his  wife,  John  Gibbons  and  Isaac  Enochs, 
and  that  these  were  the  first  people  baptized  in  the  territory.  The 


122  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

Rev.  David  Badgley  organized  the  first  Baptist  church  in  the  Illinois 
territory  in  the  summer  of  1796.  The  greatest  representative  of  the 
Baptist  faith  in  the  early  days  of  the  state  was  Rev.  John  M.  Peck, 
but  he  did  not  arrive  till  1817  and  we  shall  speak  of  his  labors  later. 

The  Methodists  came  into  the  territory  as  early  as  1793.  They 
were  first  represented  by  the  Rev.  Joseph  Lillard,  who  came  from 
Kentucky.  He  was  a  circuit  rider  in  that  state.  He  organized  a 
church  at  New  Design  and  appointed  Joseph  Ogle  as  class  leader. 
Ogle  had  been  converted  by  a  Baptist  preacher  in  Kentucky,  and  had 
attached  himself  to  the  Methodists.  The  Rev.  Hosea  Riggs  came  iu 
1796  and  he  was  followed  by  Benjamin  Young  who  was  the  first  cir- 
cuit rider  with  a  regular  appointment  in  Illinois.  Probably  the  most 
noted  of  the  early  preachers  was  the  Rev.  Jesse  Walker,  who  came 
from  Kentucky  by  appointment  from  the  "Western  Conference." 
The  Western  Conference,  held  in  1806,  appointed  Jesse  Walker  cir- 
cuit rider  for  the  Illinois  circuit  which  at  that  time  was  one  of  eight 
circuits  of  the  Cumberland  district.  The  Rev.  William  McKendree, 
afterwards  Bishop  McKendree,  was  the  presiding  elder  of  the  Cum- 
berland district,  and  so  earnest  was  he  that  Jesse  Walker  should  get 
started  that  he  came  with  him  to  the  Illinois  territory.  They  swam 
their  horses  across  seven  different  streams,  camped  out  at  night  and 
cooked  their  own  meals.  They  finally  arrived  at  the  Turkey  Hill 
settlement  near  the  present  city  of  Belleville.  The  winter  of  1806-7 
the  Rev.  Walker  preached  in  the  homes  of  the  people  in  and  around 
New  Design.  In  the  summer  of  1808  he  held  a  campmeeting  which 
was  doubtless  the  first  effort  of  the  kind  ever  made  in  the  state. 
Walker  soon  had  two  hundred  and  eighteen  members  in  the  Illinois 
circuit.  He  afterwards  established  a  church  in  St.  Louis. 

The  first  Presbyterian  preacher  to  visit  the  Illinois  territory  was 
the  Rev.  John  Evans  Finley.  He  reached  Kaskaskia  in  a  keel  boat 
from  Pittsburg  in  1797.  "He  preached  and  catechised,  also  baptized 
several  of  the  redmen."  Although  the  Rev.  Mr.  Finley  fully  intended 
to  settle  in  the  Illinois  territory,  he  and  his  companions  decided  to 
leave  when  they  learned  they  would  be  obliged  to  do  military  duty. 
Two  licentiates  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  F.  Schermerhorn  and 
Samuel  J.  Mills,  were  sent  by  the  New  England  missionary  societies 
into  several  of  the  western  states  in  the  year  1812.  They  made  care- 
ful observations,  preached,  and  made  frequent  reports  of  their  work. 
''In  the  Illinois  territory  containing  more  than  twelve  thousand 
people,  there  is  no  Presbyterian  or  Congregational  minister.  There 
are  a  number  of  good  people  in  the  territory  who  would  be  glad  to 
have  such  ministers  among  them."  These  two  missionaries  stayed  but 
a  short  time  in  Illinois  and  went  on  their  way,  reaching  Nashville  the 
winter  of  1812-13.  The  same  Mr.  Mills  came  again  in  1814.  On  this 
trip  he  says,  "This  territory  is  deplorably  destitute  of  bibles.  In 
Kaskaskia,  a  place  of  eighty  or  one  hundred  families  there  are,  it  is 
thought,  not  more  than  four  or  five.  We  did  not  find  any  place  in  the 
territory  where  a  copy  of  the  scripture  could  be  obtained. ' '  On  Janu- 
ary 20,  1815,  he  writes — "  Shawneetown  on  the  Ohio  has  about  one 
hundred  houses.  Six  miles  from  Kaskaskia  there  is  an  Associate  Re- 
formed congregation  of  forty  families."  He  says  he  heard  of  no 
other  Protestant  preachers  or  members  in  all  the  region  around  Kas- 
kaskia. But  a  Methodist  preacher  from  near  New  Design  told  him 
that  formerly  there  were  several  Presbyterians  in  that  locality  but 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  123 

they  had  now  all  joined  either  the  Methodists  or  the  Baptists.  No 
Presbyterian  preacher  was  settled  or  preached  for  any  length  of  time 
before  the  coming  of  the  Rev.  James  McGready  in  1816.  He  organized 
the  Sharon  church,  in  what  is  now  White  county,  in  September  of 
that  year.  To  the  Associate  Reformed  church  mentioned  above,  Rey- 
nolds says  there  came  in  1817  a  reverend  gentleman  by  the  name  of 
Samuel  Wylie. 

He  had  a  very  prosperous  congregation  of  Covenanters  in  Ran- 
dolph county.  He  and  his  people  became  very  noted  throughout 
Southern  Illinois. 

The  social  life  of  Illinois  prior  to  1818  was  certainly  not  of  a  very 
high  order.  We  do  not  mean  there  were  no  good  people  and  that 
there  were  not  those  of  culture  and  refinement,  for  indeed  many  of  the 
people  who  became  permanent  settlers  were  from  localities  in  the  older 
states  where  the  agencies  of  culture,  learning,  and  religion  were 
abundant.  However,  in  any  newly  settled  region  there  is  always 
found  a  very  rough  class  of  people,  and  while  not  necessarily  in  the 
majority  in  numbers,  to  the  casual  observer  they  stand  out  promi- 
nently and  give  character  to  the  community  at  large. 

In  dress  the  early  pioneers  were  content  with  the  homemade  prod- 
uct. The  men  often  wearing  breeches  and  shirt  of  the  tanned  hide  of 
wild  animals,  and  the  cap  of  fox  hide  or  of  raccoon  skin.  This  gave 
them  a  very  rough  appearance.  Their  homes  were  very  crude  and 
not  always  comfortable.  The  household  utensils  were  such  as  could 
be  manufactured  by  each  head  of  the  family.  There  were  no  stoves, 
cooking  being  done  on  the  fire-place  hearth. 

Swapping  work  was  quite  common.  The  particular  kinds  of  work 
referred  to  were  wood  chopping,  corn  gathering,  harvesting,  house- 
raising,  and  road-making.  Some  of  these  gatherings  were  very  en- 
joyable to  the  pioneers  for  they  would  often  spread  their  meals  upon 
the  ground  and  gather  about  in  modern  picnic  style.  Dancing  was 
a  very  common  amusement  and  since  there  were  very  few  preachers, 
there  were  few  others  to  object.  The  French  settlers  especially  were 
fond  of  dancing.  Horse-racing  was  another  very  common  recreation. 
The  horse-races  usually  came  off  on  Saturdays  or  on  public  days. 
Race  tracks  were  common  features  of  many  localities.  At  these  races 
other  amusements  were  indulged  in ;  fighting  was  no  unusual  thing. 
The  "bully"  was  a  man  of  notoriety.  Swearing  of  the  hardest  sort 
was  heard  and  while  there  were  laws  against  it,  still  the  people  in- 
dulged. "Swearing  by  the  name  of  God,  Christ  Jesus,  or  the  Holy 
Ghost,"  as  well  as  Sabbath  breaking,  was  finable  from  fifty  cents  to 
two  dollars. 

Perhaps  one  of  the  most  characteristic  customs,  and  one  that  still 
lingers  in  many  localities,  was  the  "shooting  match."  A  farmer's 
wife  who  had  been  quite  lucky  in  raising  turkeys,  would  dispose  of 
them  in  the  fall  by  means  of  the  shooting  match.  If  the  turkey  was  to 
bring  one  dollar  then  ten  privileges  to  shoot  must  be  bought  at  ten 
cents  each.  When  the  necessary  number  of  chances  was  taken  then 
a  mark  was  put  up  at  a  certain  distance  and  the  contest  began.  The 
marksman  who  made  the  best  shot  got  the  turkey.  Among  these 
frontiersmen  "taking  a  rest"  was  a  confession  of  lack  of  skill.  In 
some  of  the  states  south  of  the  Potomac  it  was  no  uncommon  thing  to 
sell  furniture  in  this  way;  even  the  beef  carcass  was  disposed  of  by 
the  test  of  marksmanship. 


CHAPTER  XI 
APPROACHING  STATEHOOD 

NEW  COUNTIES — BANKS  AND  BANKING — IMMIGRATION — FIFTEEN  COUN- 
TIES UP  TO  1818 — NATHANIEL  POPE  ELECTED  TO  CONGRESS 

Illinois  upon  its  separation  from  Indiana  in  1809  became  a  territory 
of  the  first  class  with  a  governor,  secretary,  three  judges,  and  such  minor 
officers  as  were  needed.  In  the  spring  of  1812  by  a  vote  of  the  free- 
holders the  territory  became  one  of  the  second  class.  This  gave  the  peo- 
ple, in  addition  to  the  governor,  secretary,  and  the  three  judges,  which 
were  all  appointed  by  the  president,  a  legislative  body  consisting  of  an 
upper  and  a  lower  house.  The  territory  was  also  entitled  to  a  delegate 
in  congress  who  would  be  entitled  to  all  the  privileges  of  that  body  ex- 
cept that  of  voting. 

NEW  COUNTIES 

Elections  were  held  in  the  five  counties  then  organized — namely : 
Randolph,  St.  Glair,  Madison,  Johnson,  and  Gallatin,  for  members  of 
the  two  branches  of  the  territorial  legislature.  The  following  persons 
were  elected  to  the  upper  house  from  the  counties  respectively- — Pierre 
Menard,  William  Biggs,  Samuel  Judy,  Thomas  Ferguson,  and  Benja- 
min Talbot.  The  members  of  the  lower  house  were :  from  Randolph, 
George  Fisher;  from  St.  Clair,  Joshua  Oglesby  and  Jacob  Short;  from 
Madison,  William  Jones ;  from  Johnson,  John  Grammar ;  and  from  Gal- 
latin, Phillip  Trammel  and  Alexander  Wilson.  There  was  not  a  lawyer 
in  either  house.  The  delegate  selected  to  represent  the  territory  in  con- 
gress was  Shadrach  Bond. 

Under  the  second  class  form  of  government  the  legislature  met  bi- 
ennially. In  the  summer  of  1814  Col.  Benjamin  Stephenson  was  elected 
delegate  in  congress,  and  in  1816  Nathaniel  Pope,  who  served  till  the 
admission  of  the  state  in  1818.  Two  new  counties  were  added  in  1815, 
White  and  Edwards,  making  seven  in  all.  In  1816  four  more  were 
added — Monroe,  Jackson,  Pope  and  Crawford.  In  1817  Bond  was 
added,  and  in  1818  Franklin,  Union,  and  Washington  were  added,  these 
making  fifteen  counties  at  the  admission  of  the  state  in  1818. 

BANKS  AND  BANKING 

A  bit  of  interesting  legislation  occurred  in  the  session  of  1816.  It 
will  be  remembered  that  the  charter  to  the  first  United  States  bank, 
which  was  passed  in  1791,  expired  in  1811  and  failed  of  renewal.  Al- 

124 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


125 


most  immediately  the  states  began  to  charter  state  banks.  Of  course 
there  were  state  banks  before  this  time,  but  now  there  seemed  an  in- 
creased demand  for  such  banks.  Ohio  and  Kentucky  were  quite  active 
about  this  time  in  chartering  state  banks.  Illinois  had  just  passed 
through  four  years  of  strain  in  the  Indian  wars.  Considerable  money 
had  been  distributed  among  those  who  had  served  in  the  war,  but  it  was 
rapidly  disappearing,  and  so  the  demand  for  banks  of  issue  was  very 
strong. 

Probably  the  first  bank  in  Illinois  was  conducted  by  John  Marshall 
who  resided  in  Shawneetown.  He  settled  there  in  1804  and  was  a  suc- 
cessful merchant.  It  is  said  he  rode  to  Philadelphia  on  horse  back  to 
order  his  stock  of  goods  taking  the  silver  in  a  sack.  The  goods  were 
freighted  over  to  Pittsburg  in  wagons  and  then  floated  down  the  Ohio  to 
Shawneetown.  He  early  built  a  two  story  brick  residence  just  on  the 


JOHN  MARSHALL'S  RESIDENCE  IN  SHAWNEETOWN,  IN  WHICH  HE  KEPT  A 
^BANif  AS  EARLY  AS  1813 

bank  of  the  river,  and  in  one  room  of  the  first  floor  he  conducted  his 
bank  as  early  as  1812  or  1813.  The  land  office  was  located  in  Shawnee- 
town in  1812  and  no  doubt  there  was  need  of  a  banking  house  for  that 
reason. 

In  1816  when  the  territorial  legislature  met  at  Kaskaskia  there  was 
a  very  strong  desire  for  a  banking  system.  A  bill  was  introduced  and 
passed  creating  by  charter  the  "Bank  of  Illinois"  located  at  Shawnee- 
town. At  another  session  of  the  same  body  held  in  the  fall  of  1817, 
banks  were  authorized  in  Edwardsville  and  Kaskaskia.  These  were 
not  state  banks  in  the  sense  that  the  state  was  back  of  their  issue — only 
that  the  state  had  authorized  their  organization.  These  banks  all  issued 
bills  which  they  put  in  circulation.  In  a  letter  written  May  25,  1816, 
by  John  Marshall,  president  of  the  Bank  of  Illinois,  at  Shawneetown, 
to  Governor  Ninian  Edwards.  Marshall  complains  that  his  bank  is  not 
treated  fairly  by  the  receiver  of  public  moneys  at  Kaskaskia,  nor  by  the 
Bank  of  Missouri.  Marshall  says  the  receiver  at  Kaskaskia  will  accept 
the  bills  of  the  "Bank  of  Illinois"  one  day  and  the  next  day  refuse  them. 


126  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

He  also  says  the  Bank  of  Missouri  makes  it  a  point  to  collect  large  quan- 
tities of  the  issue  of  the  Shawneetown  bank  and  then  present  them  all 
at  once  for  redemption,  hoping,  evidently,  thereby  to  embarrass  the 
Shawneetown  bank.  Mr.  Marshall  says  he  recently  redeemed  $12,000  of 
his  bank's  notes  which  were  presented  by  the  Missouri  bank. 

In  the  same  letter  he  makes  it  plain  that  the  best  of  relations  exist 
between  the  Shawneetown  bank  and  the  bank  at  Edwardsville  in  the 
latter  of  which  Governor  Edwards  seems  to  have  been  financially  inter- 
ested. We  shall  have  occasion  to  refer  to  this  banking  system  from  time 
to  time  as  we  proceed. 

IMMIGRATION 

Following  the  return  of  peace  in  1814,  there  was  a  great  movement 
of  immigration  into  the  west.  The  political  and  international  condi- 
tions which  obtained  in  the  United  States  from  1807  to  1812,  and  the 
period  of  war  which  followed  all  tended  to  hold  the  people  in  the  Atlan- 
tic states.  The  economic  changes  which  the  war  and  governmental  pol- 
icies wrought  in  New  England  greatly  unsettled  the  people  of  that 
section,  and  for  the  next  two  or  three  years  there  were  constant  streams 
of  immigration  flowing  westward.  Thus  Indiana  grew  so  rapidly  that 
her  population  justified  her  admission  in  1816.  The  population  of  In- 
diana was  24,520  in  1810 ;  in  1820  the  census  showed  147,178.  In  like 
manner  the  growth  of  Ohio  is  shown.  In  1810  her  population  num- 
bered 230,760,  while  in  1820  it  was  581,295.  Illinois  was  getting  her 
share  of  this  westward  immigration,  though  her  increase  was  not  so 
marked  as  that  of  the  two  states  to  the  east. 

There  were  five  factors  which,  taken  together,  may  account  for  the 
increased  immigration  following  the  close  of  the  War  of  1812. 

1.  First,  the  pre-emption  law,  to  which  reference  was  made  in  the 
preceding  chapter.     When  one  feared  that  his  lands  might  be  taken 
from  him,  he  was  not  likely  to  take  much  interest  in  moving  into  a  new 
territory.     This  law  allowed  the  settler  to  select  his  quarter  section  or 
other  unit  of  survey,  begin  his  improvements,  and  hold  the  same  against 
the  claims  of  anyone  for  a  limited  time.    That  is,  his  labor  on  the  unim- 
proved lands  gave  him  an  equity  of  which  he  could  not  be  deprived. 
This  law  was  a  very  great  factor  in  bringing  eastern  people  where  lands 
were  poor  and  scarce  into  the  rich  prairies  of  Illinois. 

2.  The  modes  of  travel  had  greatly  improved  within  the  past  twenty 
years.    The  national  road  from  the  head  of  navigation  on  the  Potomac 
over  the  Alleghanies  to  the  Ohio  river  had  greatly  stimulated  the  move- 
ment of  immigration  from  the  Chesapeake  region  to  the  Ohio.    On  the 
Ohio  there  were  steamboats  in  a  very  early  period — as  early  as  1811. 
The  national  road  and  the  Ohio  river  therefore  furnished  a  direct  route 
from  the  -tidewater  region  of  Virginia  to  Shawneetown,  Cairo,  or  St. 
Louis.    Thousands  of  people  came  in  wagons  and  still  others  built  their 
own  flatboats  and  floated  down  the  Ohio. 

3.  It  was  the  policy  of  the  territorial  government  in  Illinois  to 
organize  counties  just  as  rapidly  as  there  could  be  found  any  excuse 
for  it  at  all.     Many  counties  were  organized  with  only  a  few  score  of 
people.     This  practice  has  proved  a  great  advantage  in  building  up 
all  of  our  western  states.    People  do  not  like  to  move  into  regions  of  a 
new  country  where  civil  government  is  administered  at  some  inaccess- 


-TT! 

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MAP-OF 

ILLINOIS 

SHOWING 

COUNTY  BOUNDARIES 

1818. 

(ILLINOIS  TY.) 


THE  FIFTEEN  COUNTIES  IN  ILLINOIS  WHEN  ILLINOIS,  WAS  ADMITTED 
INTO  THE  UNION  IN  1818 


128  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

ible  or  distant  point,  or  where  the  government  is  poorly  organized  or 
poorly  executed.  By  1818  fifteen  counties  had  been  created  in  Illinois, 
county  seats  had  been  located  and  crude  public  buildings  erected,  and 
officers  of  the  law  selected  and  installed. 

4.  The  treaties  with  the  Indians  made  immediately  at  the  close 
of  the  War  of  1812  had  given  assurance  that  there  would  be  no  more 
•'Indian  massacres"  in  Illinois.     Besides  there  were  released  large 
quantities  of  land  which  the  government  could  offer  the  settlers  for 
permanent  homes.     And  in  connection  with  this  may  be  mentioned 
the  setting  aside  of  the  military  tract  which  lies  between  the  Illinois 
and  the  Mississippi  rivers  for  those  soldiers  who  had  served  in  the 
War  of  1812  and  who  were  entitled  to  bounty  lands. 

5.  Not  least  was  the  fact  that  war  is  a  time  of  more  or  less  rest- 
lessness and  at  its  close  there  is  always  a  period  of  readjustment  in 
which  there  is  a  considerable  movement  from  one  region  to  another. 
All  these  factors  were  at  work  building  up  the  population  of  Illinois. 

FIFTEEN  COUNTIES  UP  TO  1818 

The  accompanying  map  shows  the  relative  location  of  the  fifteen 
counties  which  had  been  organized  up  to  1818.  The  people  were 
thinking  of  statehood  and  when  the  movement  was  once  under  way 
there  was  constant  growth  of  statehood  sentiment. 

The  Ordinance  of  1787  provided  that  the  region  known  as  the 
Northwest  Territory  might  be,  when  sufficiently  populated,  admit- 
ted into  the  union  as  three,  four,  or  five  states.  The  westernmost 
state,  if  three,  should  include  the  territory  west  of  the  Ohio,  Wa- 
bash,  and  a  line  due  north  from  Vincennes;  or  if  two  states  were  to 
be  made  of  this  territory  then  the  south  state  should  be  bounded  on 
the  north  by  a  parallel  passing  through  the  southern  bend  of  Lake 
Michigan.  The  northern  boundary  of  Indiana  had  been  placed  at 
this  parallel.  The  citizens  of  Illinois  had  began  almost  immediately 
after  the  admission  of  Indiana  to  agitate  for  the  admission  of  Illi- 
nois as  a  state. 

NATHANIEL  POPE  ELECTED  TO  CONGRESS 

Mr.  Benjamin  Stephenson's  term  as  delegate  in  congress  from 
Illinois  territory  expired  March  4,  1817.  In  the  winter  preceding 
the  territorial  legislature  had  elected  Nathaniel  Pope  as  his  suc- 
cessor. Pope  took  his  seat  in  congress  December,  1817,  and  imme- 
diately took  rank  as  a  useful  member  of  the  national  house. 
Nathaniel  Pope  was  a  native  of  Kentucky,  having  been  born  at 
Louisville  in  that  state  in  1774.  He  was  educated  in  the  old  Transyl- 
vania University  at  Lexington.  He  studied  law  with  his  brother, 
Senator  John  Pope,  and  came  into  Illinois  about  1808.  He  set- 
tled at  Kaskaskia  and  became  the  first  territorial  secretary  under 
Governor  Ninian  Edwards.  He  was  a  shrewd  lawyer  with  a  judicial 
mind,  quick  and  farseeing.  He  rendered  a  great  service  to  his  state 
and  to  his  country. 


CHAPTER  XII 
ILLINOIS  BECOMES  A  STATE 

SERVICES   OP   NATHANIEL    POPE — THE   CONSTITUTIONAL    CONVENTION — 
THE  CONSTITUTION  OP  1818 

The  second  session  of  the  third  territorial  legislature,  convened  De- 
cember 1,  1817,  and  adjourned  January  12,  1818.  At  this  session  a 
petition  was  formulated  and  forwarded  to  the  delegate  in  congress, 
Mr.  Nathaniel  Pope,  praying  congress  for  the  passage  of  an  act  which 
would  permit  the  people  of  Illinois  territory  to  form  a  constitution  and 
apply  for  admission  into  the  union. 

SERVICES  OP  NATHANIEL  POPE 

Mr.  Pope  presented  the  petition  on  the  16th  of  January,  1818,  and 
it  was  referred  to  a  committee  of  which  he  was  a  member.  Mr.  Pope 
being  a  representative  of  the  people  making  the  petition,  the  committee 
requested  him  to  draw  the  bill  for  the  enabling  act.  This  he  did  and 
in  due  course  of  time  the  committee  was  ready  to  report.  On  April  7, 
1818,  the  committee  reported  the  bill  which  had  been  drawn.  The  re- 
port was  now  referred  to  the  committee  of  the  whole  in  which  the  bill 
was  taken  up  April  13.  Here  in  committee  of  the  whole  was  revealed 
the  most  far-seeing  statesmanship  of  Mr.  Pope.  To  understand  this 
matter  fully  it  will  be  necessary  for  us  to  recall  some  provisions  in  the 
Ordinance  of  1787. 

The  fifth  article  of  the  ordinance  provided  there  should  be  made 
from  the  Northwest  Territory  not  fewer  than  three  nor  more  than  five 
states ;  and  the  boundary  of  the  westernmost  state  should  be  the  Missis- 
sippi, the  Ohio  and  the  Wabash  rivers  and  a  line  due  north  from  Vin- 
cennes  to  the  boundary  between  the  United  States  and  Canada.  The 
middle  as  well  as  the  easternmost  state  should  extend  to  the  Canada 
line.  Provided,  congress  should  have  authority  "to  form  one  or  two 
states  in  that  part  of  the  said  territory  which  lies  north  of  an  east  and 
west  line  drawn  through  the  southernly  bend  or  extreme  of  Lake  Mich- 
igan." 

The  latitude  of  the  extreme  southerly  end  of  Lake  Michigan  is  41 
degrees  and  39  minutes.  In  the  bill  which  Mr.  Pope  first  drew  the 
northern  boundary  of  Illinois  was  put  at  41  degrees  and  39  minutes; 
but  between  the  time  that  the  bill  was  referred  to  the  committee  of 
the  whole  on  the  7th  of  April  and  the  day  set  for  its  consideration  in 
committee  of  the  whole,  Mr.  Pope  made  a  discovery.  He  saw  that  if 
41  degrees  39  minutes  were  made  the  northern  boundary  that  the  state 

129 


130  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

when  admitted  would  have  no  lake  coast  and  would  therefore  be  at  a 
disadvantage  in  matters  of  trade  and  commerce  on  the  lakes.  So  in  the 
committee  of  the  whole  on  the  13th  of  April,  apparently  without  con- 
sulting anyone,  Mr.  Pope  moved  two  amendments  to  the  bill  as  for- 
merly drawn  by  himself.  One  of  these  provided  for  the  extension  of 
the  northern  boundary  from  41  degrees  39  minutes  to  42  degrees  and 
30  minutes;  the  other  provided  for  the  application  of  three  per  cent 
of  the  sale  of  the  public  lands  within  the  state  of  Illinois  to  the  encour- 
agement of  learning,  and  two  per  cent  to  be  used  by  congress  in  build- 
ing roads  leading  into  the  state.  This  latter  amendment  was  a  farseeing 
measure  and  was  readily  agreed  to  by  everyone.  The  first  one  was 
probably  not  so  popular  and  Mr.  Pope  was  under  the  necessity  of 
inventing  argument  to  prove  the  wisdom  of  his  amendment. 

First.  He  argued  that  in  confederacies  there  was  always  the  danger 
of  secession.  Illinois  was  so  situated — the  Mississippi,  Ohio,  Wabash, 
Illinois,  Kentucky,  and  Tennessee  rivers  so  bound  Illinois  to  the  south 
that  in  case  of  secession  that  Illinois  would  go  with  the  southern  states. 
Illinois  geographically  was  needed  to  unify  the  commerce  and  trade  of 
the  region  to  the  south  and  west  of  the  Alleghanies.  But  if  the  line 
were  pushed  to  the  parallel  of  42  degrees  and  30  minutes,  Illinois  would 
have  fifty  or  sixty  miles  of  lake  coast.  And  while  the  commerce  of 
the  lakes  was  unimportant  now,  the  time  would  come  when  the  port  of 
Chicago  would  be  like  turning  the  Mississippi  into  the  lake.  And  again 
if  the  northern  line  be  made  42  degrees  30  minutes,  it  would  give  a 
strip  fifty  miles  wide  and  reaching  from  Lake  Michigan  to  the  Mis- 
sissippi river.  This  strip  of  land  would  contain  a  population  which 
would  exert  a  very  great  influence  in  attaching  the  interests  of  Illinois 
to  those  of  Ohio,  Indiana,  Pennsylvania,  and  New  York. 

Second.  The  Mississippi  ran  unobstructed  to  the  Gulf.  The  time 
would  come  when  it  would  be  very  desirable  that  a  water-way  should 
be  made  connecting  the  Mississippi  with  Lake  Michigan.  The  Illinois 
river  presented  the  most  feasible  route  and  its  head  waters  were  in 
close  proximity  to  the  lake.  If  a  canal  were  constructed  connecting  the 
lake  with  the  Mississippi,  through  the  Illinois  river  or  by  any  other 
route,  the  state  would  be  strongly  attached  to  the  lake  route  to  the 
sea  and  much  of  the  products  of  not  only  Illinois  but  of  the  adjacent 
states  would  find  its  way  to  the  seaboard  through  the  port  of  Chicago. 

Mr.  Pope's  earnestness  and  clearness  of  presentation  were  convinc- 
ing and  the  committee  of  the  whole  voted  to  recommend  the  passage  of 
the  bill  as  amended.  On  the  18th  of  April  the  bill  passed  and  became  a 
law.  It  will  be  profitable  if  we  will  study  briefly  the  provisions  of  this 
Enabling  Act. 

The  act  has  seven  sections.    Let  us  examine  each  one. 

First.  The  people  of  the  territory  of  Illinois  are  authorized  to  form 
a  constitution,  to  assume  any  name  they  wish,  and  may  be  admittted  into 
the  union  upon  equal  footing  with  the  original  states. 

Second.  The  boundary  shall  be  as  follows:  "Beginning  at  the 
mouth  of  the  "Wabash  river ;  thence  up  the  same,  and  with  the  line  of 
Indiana,  to  the  northwest  corner  of  said  state;  thence  east  with  the  line 
of  said  state  to  the  middle  of  Lake  Michigan;  thence  north  along  the 
middle  of  said  lake,  to  north  latitude  42  degrees  and  30  minutes ;  thence 
west  to  the  middle  of  the  Mississippi  river ;  thence  down  along  the  mid- 
dle of  that  river  to  its  confluence  with  the  Ohio  river ;  and  thence  up  the 
latter  river  along  its  northwestern  shore  to  the  beginning." 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  131 

Third.  This  section  states  the  qualifications  of  those  who  shall  vote 
for  members  of  the  constitutional  convention.  It  also  names  the  fifteen 
counties  which  shall  send  representatives  to  the  said  convention  as  fol- 
lows :  Bond,  Madison,  St.  Glair,  Monroe,  Randolph,  Jackson,  Johnson, 
Pope,  Gallatin,  White,  Edwards,  Crawford,  Union,  Washington,  and 
Franklin.  The  election  day  was  set  for  the  first  Monday  in  July  (6) 
and  the  two  following  days.  The  number  of  delegates  to  the  conven- 
tion was  fixed  two  for  each  county  except  Madison,  St.  Clair,  and  Galla- 
tin, which  should  have  three  each — thirty-three  in  all. 

Fourth.  The  day  for  the  meeting  of  the  convention  was  fixed  for  the 
first  Monday  in  August.  The  form  of  government  must  be  Republican, 
and  there  must  be  forty  thousand  inhabitants  before  the  territory  can 
be  admitted  as  a  state. 

Fifth.  The  state  when  admitted  shall  be  entitled  to  one  repre- 
sentative in  congress. 

Sixth.     The  following  propositions  were  offered  to  the  convention: 

1.  Section  number  16  in  each  township  which  shall  be  for  the  bene- 
fit of  the  schools  of  that  township. 

2.  The  gift  of  all  salt  springs  within  the  state  together  with  the 
lands  reserved  for  them.     These  salt  springs  and  land  to  be  held  by 
the  legislature  for  the  benefit  of  the  state.     The  lands  could  not  be 
sold,  nor  rented  for  a  longer  period  than  ten  years  at  any  one  time. 

3.  The  state  was  offered  five  per  cent  of  the  net  proceeds  of  the 
sale  of  public  lands  within  the  state ;  two  per  cent  to  be  expended  by 
congress  in  roads  leading  to  the  state  and  three  per  cent  to  be  used 
by  the  state  legislature  in  promoting  learning. 

4.  The  state  was  offered  a  township  of  land  to  be  used  to  found 
a  seminary  of  learning. 

These  four  propositions  or  gifts  were  to  be  accepted  and  an  ordi- 
nance passed  and  a  guarantee  given  that  all  land  sold  by  the  general 
government  within  the  limits  of  the  state  should  be  exempt  from 
taxation  for  five  years  and  that  non-resident  land  holders  shall  be 
taxed  no  higher  than  those  who  live  in  the  state. 

Seventh.  All  territory  north  of  the  north  line  of  Indiana  and 
north  of  the  north  line  of  Illinois  should  be  attached  to  the  Michigan 
territory  for  purposes  of  government. 

"No  man  ever  rendered  the  state  a  more  important  service  in 
congress  than  did  Nathaniel  Pope,  to  whom  the  people  of  Illinois  are 
indebted  for  securing  the  passage  of  this  enabling  law,  upon  which 
he  succeeded  in  ingrafting  the  important  provisions  set  forth  above. 
And  if  political  rewards  were  meted  out  in  proportion  to  the  merits 
of  the  service  rendered,  the  people's  representatives  would  with  one 
accord  have  selected  him  as  their  senator  in  congress.  Bright  and 
steady  as  was  his  fame  as  a  jurist,  it  would  have  paled  before  the 
brilliant  luster  of  his  career  as  a  statesman." 

THE  CONSTITUTIONAL  CONVENTION 

As  has  been  said,  the  Enabling  Act  became  a  law  the  18th  of 
April.  1818.  The  election  of  delegates  to  the  constitutional  conven- 
tion was  fixed  for  the  first  Monday  in  July,  and  the  constitutional 
convention  was  to  convene  the  first  Monday  in  August.  But  the  first 
thing  to  do  was  to  take  the  census  of  the  territory,  and  if  it  did  not 


132  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

have  the  forty  thousand  then  there  would  be  no  need  for  the  con- 
vention. It  was  soon  evident  that  the  territory  did  not  have  the  re- 
quired number.  The  story  is  told  that  the  marshal  stationed  his 
enumerators  on  the  public  highways  and  counted  the  travellers  and 
immigrants,  regardless  of  their  destination.  Not  only  this,  but  it 
is  asserted  that  often  the  same  traveller  or  immigrant  was  counted 
twice  or  even  thrice.  At  last  the  enumerators  returned  forty  thou- 
sand inhabitants,  but  as  the  returns  were  afterward  footed  up  there 
were  really  only  thirty-four  thousand  six  hundred  and  twenty  people 
in  the  proposed  state.  The  delegates  were  duly  elected  and  assembled 
at  Kaskaskia  on  the  first  Monday  in  August.  There  were  two  subjects 
which  were  discussed  in  the  canvass  for  delegates  to  the  convention; 
one  was  the  question  of  whether  the  constituency  ought  to  have  the 
right  of  instruction,  and  the  other  was  the  question  of  slavery. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  those  who  assembled  as  delegates: 

St.  Clair  county — Jesse  B.  Thomas,  John  Messenger,  James  Le- 
men,  Jr. 

Randolph— George  Fisher,  Elias  Kent  Kane. 

Madison — Benjamin  Stephenson,  Joseph  Borough,  Abraham  Prick- 
ett. 

Gallatin — Michael  Jones,  Leonard  White,  Adolphus  Frederick 
Hubbard. 

Johnson — Hezekiah  West,  Wm.  McFatridge. 

Edwards — Seth  Gard,  Levi  Compton. 

White — Willis  Hargrave,  Wm  McIIenry. 

Monroe — Caldwell  Cams,  Enoch  Moore. 

Pope— Samuel  O'Melveny,  Hamlet  Ferguson. 

Jackson — Conrad  Will,  James  Hall,  Jr. 

Crawford — Joseph  Kitchell,  Edward  N.  Cullom. 

Bond- — Thomas  Kirkpatrick,  Samuel  J.  Morse. 

Union — William  Eckols,  John  Whittaker. 

Washington — Andrew  Bankson  (other  delegate  died  during  con- 
vention). 

Franklin — Isham  Harrison,  Thomas  Roberts. 

The  convention  met  August  3.  1818,  and  finished  its  labors  and 
adjourned  August  26.  Jesse  B.  Thomas  from  St.  Clair  county  was 
elected  chairman,  and  William  C.  Greenup  was  made  secretary.  Up 
to  within  the  past  year  no  one  knew  of  a  copy  of  the  proceedings  of 
the  convention,  but  a  copy  has  been  found  and  is  in  the  possession  of 
the  Illinois  State  Historical  Library. 

The  constitution  was  not  submitted  to  the  people  for  ratification 
and  the  only  officers  which  the  people  might  elect  were :  Governor, 
lieutenant  governor,  members  of  the  general  assembly,  sheriffs,  and 
coroners.  The  offices  which  were  filled  by  appointment  of  either  the 
governor  or  the  general  assembly  were:  Judges  of  the  supreme,  cir- 
cuit and  probate  courts ;  prosecuting  attorney,  county  clerk,  circuit 
clerk,  recorder,  justice  of  the  peace,  auditor  of  public  accounts,  at- 
torney general,  secretary  of  state. 

Before  taking  up  the  elections  under  the  constitution,  let  us  make 
a  brief  study  of  the  document. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  133 

THE  CONSTITUTION  OP  1818 

The  preamble  to  the  constitution  refers  to  the  enabling  act,  quotes 
from  the  preamble  of  the  constitution  of  the  United  States,  and  traces 
the  boundaries  of  the  state  following  the  boundary  lines  as  described 
in  the  enabling  act. 

Before  taking  up  the  elections  under  the  constitution,  let  us  make 
a  brief  study  of  the  document. 

Article  one  provides  that  all  government  power  shall  be  exer- 
cised through  three  departments,  namely:  The  legislative,  the  execu- 
tive, the  judicial. 

Article  two  vests  the  legislative  authority  in  a  general  assembly 
which  shall  consist  of  a  senate  and  a  house  of  representatives.  It 
also  fixes  qualifications  of  members  of  the  two  houses,  states  the 
modes  by  which  bills  may  become  laws.  Section  27  reads — "In  all 
elections  all  white  male  inhabitants  above  the  age  of  twenty-one 
years,  having  resided  in  the  state  six  months  next  preceding  the  elec- 
tion, shall  enjoy  the  right  of  an  elector;  but  no  person  shall  be  en- 
titled to  vote  except  in  the  county  or  district  in  which  he  shall  ac- 
tually reside  at  the  time  of  the  election." 

Article  three  vests  the  executive  authority  in  a  governor  and 
other  officers  and  defines  their  duties. 

Article  four  locates  the  judicial  power  in  one  supreme  court  and 
in  such  inferior  courts  as  the  legislature  may  from  time  to  time  or- 
dain and  establish. 

Article  five  creates  and  organizes  the  militia. 

Article  six  has  three  sections  which  are  as  follows: 

Section  1.  Neither  slavery  or  involuntary  servitude  shall  here- 
after be  introduced  into  this  state,  otherwise  than  for  the  punish- 
ment of  crimes  whereof  the  party  shall  have  been  duly  convicted;  nor 
shall  any  male  person,  arrived  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  nor  fe- 
male person  arrived  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years,  be  held  to  serve  any 
person  as  a  servant,  under  any  indenture  hereafter  made,  unless  such 
person  shall  enter  into  such  indenture  while  in  a  state  of  perfect 
freedom,  and  on  condition  of  a  bona  fide  consideration  received  or  to 
be  received  for  their  service.  Nor  shall  any  indenture  of  any  negro 
or  mulatto,  hereafter  made  and  executed  out  of  this  state,  or  if  made 
in  this  state,  where  the  term  of  service  exceeds  one  year,  be  of  the 
least  validity,  except  those  given  in  cases  of  apprenticeship. 

Section  2.  No  person  bound  to  labor  in  any  other  state,  shall  be 
hired  to  labor  in  this  state,  except  within  the  tract  reserved  for  the 
salt  works  near  Shawneetown;  nor  even  at  that  place  for  a  longer 
period  than  one  year  at  any  one  time;  nor  shall  it  be  allowed  there 
after  the  year  1825.  Any  violation  of  this  article  shall  effect  the 
emancipation  of  such  person  from  his  obligation  to  service. 

Section  3.  Each  and  every  person  who  has  been  bound  to  serv- 
ice by  contract  or  indenture  in  virtue  of  the  laws  of  Illinois  ter- 
ritory heretofore  existing,  and  in  conformity  to  the  provisions  of  the 
same,  without  fraud  or  collusion,  shall  be  held  to  a  specific  perform- 
ance of  their  contracts  or  indentures;  and  such  negroes  and  mulat- 
toes  as  have  been  registered  in  conformity  with  the  aforesaid  laws, 
shall  serve  out  the  time  appointed  by  said  laws ;  provided,  however, 
that  the  children  hereafter  born  of  such  persons,  negroes  or  mulat- 
toes,  shall  become  free,  the  males  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  the 


134  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

females  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years.  Children  born  of  indentured 
parents  shall  be  entered  with  the  clerk  of  the  county  in  which  they 
reside,  by  their  owners,  within  six  months  after  the  birth  of  said 
child. 

Notice  the  wording  in  section  one — "shall  hereafter  be  introduced 
into  this  state. ' '  Such  a  guarantee  was  necessary  in  order  that  the  stat« 
might  be  admitted  into  the  union.  The  consent  of  the  negro  was  always 
necessary  to  a  contract  of  indenture,  and  this  was  hereafter  to  be  inter- 
preted as  "a  state  of  perfect  freedom."  Again  indentures  were  of  va- 
lidity for  only  one  year.  It  came  to  be  customary  for  the  man  who  had 
indentured  slaves  to  take  them  across  the  Ohio  and  have  them  inden- 
tured yearly. 

Section  two  provides  that  slaves  "hired"  in  slave  states  could  be 
brought  into  the  salt  works  at  Shawneetown  and  held  for  one  year.  At 
the  end  of  one  year  they  could  be  hired  again.  But  all  this  must  stop 
by  the  year  1825. 

Section  three  provides  that  all  negroes  who  were,  at  the  making  of 
the  constitution,  under  an  "indenture"  must  faithfully  fulfill  that  con- 
tract. And  children  born  of  indentured  parents  were  to  be  eventually 
free. 

The  constitution  in  no  way  affected  the  slaves  held  by  the  French 
and  their  descendants.  These  provisions  will  be  noted  later  as  we  have 
occasion  to  consider  the  laws  passed  by  the  legislatures  of  the  coming 
years.  Upon  the  whole  the  entire  system  of  slavery  and  indentured  serv- 
ice remained  practically  the  same  as  under  the  territorial  laws. 

Article  seven  provides  for  the  amending  of  the  constitution. 

Article  eight  contains  a  bill  of  rights.  The  bill  contains  twenty-three 
sections  and  covers  all  imaginable  claims  to  protection  which  the  indi- 
vidual might  ever  need. 

The  schedule  is  a  miscellaneous  collection  of  provisions  which 
could  not  easily  be  classified  elsewhere. 

It  is  said  that  only  five  of  the  thirty-three  members  of  the  con- 
vention were  lawyers.  Most  of  them  were  farmers.  Elias  Kent 
Kane  is  understood  to  have  been  the  leading  spirit  of  the  conven- 
tion. The  men  were  practical  every  day  people,  simple  in  their 
tastes  and  unlearned  in  the  arts  of  the  politician.  It  is  not  at  all 
easily  understood  why  such  a  body  of  men  who  were  certainly  demo- 
cratic in  their  political  ideals  should  clothe  the  governor  with  such 
extensive  appointing  power  and  thus  virtually  rob  their  fellow  citi- 
zens of  the  right  of  franchise  on  many  important  offices.  This  feature 
of  the  constitution  of  1818  was  pernicious  in  that  it  fostered 
office  seeking.  The  governor  was  hounded  for  positions  and  the 
members  of  the  legislature  often  traded  their  votes  for  the  support 
of  a  fellow  member  in  the  choice  of  some  office  holder. 

The  governor  did  not  have  the  veto  power  as  now.  This  power 
was  exercised  by  the  governor  in  conjunction  with  the  supreme  court. 
This  assembly  of  the  governor  and  judges  was  known  in  the  con- 
stitution as  the  Council  of  Revision.  The  constitution  of  1818  abol- 
ished imprisonment  for  debt.  This  was  a  very  advanced  step  to 
take  for  those  days.  The  legislature  was  not  prohibited  from  grant- 
ing divorces  and  this  subject  was  a  fruitful  source  of  special  legisla- 
tion at  each  session.  Neither  was  the  legislature  prohibited  from 
loaning  the  credit  of  the  state  to  any  corporate  enterprise,  and  as 
a  result  the  state  was  in  duty  bound  to  redeem  the  pledge  of  more 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  135 

than  one  corporation.  Especially  was  this  the  case  in  the  banking 
business  and  in  internal  improvements.  The  enabling  act  did  not 
require  the  submission  of  the  constitution  to  a  referendum  vote  of 
the  people.  The  progressive  ideas  of  which  we  hear  so  much  nowa- 
days had  not  yet  taken  hold  on  the  political  mind.  The  enabling 
act  required  that  the  electors  voting  for  the  members  of  the  consti- 
tutional convention  should  be  "white  male  citizens  of  the  United 
States,  who  shall  have  arrived  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  and 
have  resided  in  said  territory  six  months  previous  to  the  day  of  elec- 
tion." The  constitution  of  1818  was  more  liberal  for  it  declared  in 
section  12  of  the  schedule  that  "all  white  male  inhabitants  above 
the  age  of  twenty-one  years  who  shall  be  actual  residents  of  the 
state,  at  the  signing  of  the  constitution  shall  have  a  right  to  vote  at 
the  election  to  be  held  on  the  third  Thursday  and  the  two  following 
days  of  September  next." 

The  convention  was  in  session  from  August  3  to  August  26,  when  the 
constitution  was  signed  by  the  delegates.  The  day  fixed  by  the  constitu- 
tion for  the  election  of  the  officers  provided  for,  was  the  third  Thursday 
(the  17th)  in  September,  and  the  two  succeeding  days — Friday  and 
Saturday. 

At  this  election  Shadrach  Bond  was  chosen  governor;  Pierre  Me- 
nard  was  elected  lieutenant  governor,  and  John  McLean  was  elected  the 
representative  in  congress.  There  were  also  elected  fourteen  senators 
and  twenty-nine  representatives. 

The  legislature  was  called  to  meet  at  Kaskaskia  the  first  Monday  in 
October  (the  5th).  The  first  thing  for  this  legislature  was  the  canvass 
of  the  votes,  and  on  Tuesday  (the  6th),  Governor  Bond  was  inaugu- 
rated. The  legislature  proceeded  to  the  election  of  two  United  States 
senators.  The  choice  fell  upon  Ninian  Edwards  and  Jesse  B.  Thomas. 
The  legislature  chose  the  following  state  officers:  State  treasurer,  John 
Thomas ;  auditor,  Elijah  C.  Berry ;  attorney  general,  Daniel  P.  Clark ; 
supreme  judges,  Joseph  Phillips,  chief  justice,  William  P.  Foster, 
Thomas  C.  Brown,  and  John  Reynolds.  The  governor  appointed  Elias 
Kent  Kane  as  secretary  of  state. 

All  this  was  done  on  the  supposition  that  congress  would  accept  the 
constitution  and  admit  the  state.  However,  the  legislature  adjourned  on 
the  thirteenth  of  October  to  await  the  action  of  congress.  Mr.  McLean, 
the  newly  elected  congressman,  was  permitted  to  present  the  constitu- 
tion but  was  not  himself  sworn  in,  as  was  said,  "in  consequence  of  con- 
gress not  having  concluded  the  act  of  admission  of  the  state  into  the 
union. ' ' 

A  spirited  opposition  to  the  acceptance  of  the  constitution  arose  on 
the  ground  that  the  constitution  did  not  declare  against  slavery.  The 
matter  of  its  acceptance  was  referred  to  a  committee  of  three — Richard 
Anderson,  of  Kentucky,  George  Poindexter  and  William  Hendricks. 
This  committee  reported  in  favor  of  admitting  the  state.  James  Tal- 
madge  attacked  the  report,  arguing  that  the  constitution  was  very  in- 
definite with  regard  to  slavery.  It  neither  prohibited  slavery  nor  ad- 
mitted it.  He  also  opposed  its  admission  on  the  ground  that  there  was 
no  evidence  that  there  were  forty  thousand  people  within  the  limts  of 
the  state.  Mr.  Harrison  and  Mr.  Poindexter  made  spirited  replies  and 
upon  the  vote  it  was  admitted  by  117  to  34.  On  the  third  of  December 
the  senate  concurred  and  the  President  signed  the  bill.  The  senators 
and  congressmen  were  sworn  in,  and  Illinois  was  a  full  fledged  sovereign 
state. 


CHAPTER  XIII 
ILLINOIS  UNDER  GOVERNOR  BOND 

STARTING  THE  NEW  MACHINERY — ILLINOIS'  BLACK  CODE — IN  THE  NEW 
CAPITAL — ATTEMPTED  FINANCIAL  RELIEF — MILITARY  TRACT — THE 
ENGLISH  PRAIRIE  SETTLEMENT — GOVERNOR  BOND  RETURNS  TO  His 
FARM 

The  first  governor  under  the  constitution  was  Shadrach  Bond.  He 
was  born  in  the  state  of  Maryland,  November  24,  1778.  His  father  was 
a  farmer,  and  young  Bond  never  had  the  advantages  of  any  school  be- 
yond that  of  the  log  school  house  of  those  days.  He  came  with  his 
father  to  the  New  Design  settlement  in  Monroe  county  as  early  as  1794 
and  settled  upon'  a  farm.  Governor  Bond,  while  not  an  educated  man, 
seems  to  have  had  an  abundance  of  good  common  sense,  and  to  have  had 
the  confidence  of  his  fellow  citizens.  He  served  in  the  territorial  legisla- 
ture, and  as  territorial  delegate  in  congress.  While  a  delegate  in  con- 
gress he  secured  the  passage  of  the  Preemption  Act.  He  held  the  office 
of  receiver  of  public  moneys  in  the  land  office  at  Kaskaskia.  In  the  elec- 
tion for  state  officers  under  the  constitution  which  occurred  September, 
1818,  Mr.  Bond  was  elected  governor  without  opposition.  The  other 
officers  chosen  by  the  people  or  by  the  legislature  have  been  given  in  the 
preceding  chapter  and  need  not  be  given  here.  It  will  also  be  remem- 
bered that  there  was  a  meeting  of  the  legislature  and  some  preliminary 
work  done  even  before  the  acceptance  of  the  constitution  by  congress. 

STARTING  THE  NEW  MACHINERY 

Following  the  announcement  of  the  acceptance  of  the  constitution 
by  congress,  Governor  Bond  called  the  legislature  in  special  session  for 
January  4,  1819.  At  this  session  of  the  legslature  the  machinery  of  the 
state  government  was  set  in  motion.  Governor  Bond's  message  to  the 
legislature  was  not  an  elaborate  affair;  though  he  earnestly  recom- 
mended the  construction  at  the  earliest  date  of  a  canal  connecting  the 
head  waters  of  the  Illinois  river  with  Lake  Michigan.  Another  matter 
he  brought  forward  was  the  depleted  condition  of  the  treasury.  Third 
he  asked  for  a  modification  of  the  criminal  laws  in  force  from  the  terri- 
torial period.  Fourth  he  recommended  the  erection  of  jails  and  a  peni- 
tentiary. 

The  legislature  did  not  find  itself  in  entire  accord  with  the  gover- 
nor's views,  and  so  followed  its  own  sweet  will.  The  work  of  this  session 
was  along  four  lines  as  follows : 

1.     Determined  the  salaries  of  all  state  officers. 

136 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


137 


2.  Passed  a  complete  code  of  laws  copied  largely  from  the  statutes 
of  Virginia  and  Kentucky. 

3.  The  permanent  revenues  of  the  state  were  provided  for  by  plac- 
ing a  tax  on  lands  owned  by  non-residents,  while  the  county  revenues 
were  provided  for  by  a  personal  property  tax  including  a  tax  on  slaves 
and  indentured  servants,  and  by  a  tax  on  lands  owned  by  residents  of 
the  state. 

4.  Another  very  important  action  taken  by  the  legislature  was  the 
passage  of  a  law  for  the  removal  of  the  capital  of  the  state  from  Kaskas- 
kia  to  a  point  on  the  Kaskaskia  river  east  of  the  third  principal  me- 
ridian.    A  clause  in  the  constitution  of  1818  provided  that  the  capital 


THE  OLD  STATE  HOUSE  IN  KASKASKIA.     THE  PICTURE  WAS  TAKEN 
SHORTLY  BEFORE  IT  FELL  INTO  THE  RIVER 

should  remain  at  Kaskaskia  until  moved  by  the  legislature.  The  con- 
stitution further  provided  that  the  state  should  ask  congress  for  a  grant 
of  four  sections  of  land  upon  which  to  locate  the  capitol  buildings,  and 
some  of  which  might  be  disposed  of  in  order  to  assist  in  the  construction 
of  buildings. 

Congress  was  asked  to  donate  the  lands  for  the  new  capital  and  it 
readily  made  the  grant.  The  legislature  appointed  five  commissioners 
who  should  locate  the  gift  which  congress  made.  They  located  the 
grounds  by  selecting  sections  8,  9,  16  and  17  in  town  6  north,  range  1 
east  of  the  third  principal  meridian.  The  lands  lay  immediately  west 
of  the  Kaskaskia  river.  These  commissioners  were  also  to  construct  the 
buildings  which  should  house  the  infant  government.  The  capitol  build- 
ing was  a  two-story  wooden  frame  and  was  ready  for  the  legislature  in 
the  summer  of  1820. 


138  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

•  ILLINOIS'  BLACK  CODE 

But  before  we  leave  the  session  of  the  legislature  of  1819  in  Kaskas- 
kia  let  us  call  attention  to  what  is  known  as  Illinois'  Black  Code.  This 
was,  by  its  title,  "An  Act  respecting  free  Negroes,  Mulattoes,  Servants, 
and  Slaves."  This  Black  Code  contains  twenty -five  sections  and  was 
copied  from  old  laws  in  force  in  the  territorial  period  and  in  the  older 
states.  The  following  is  a  very  brief  abridgment  of  the  code: 

1.  No  black  or  mulatto  should  settle  in  the  state  without  a  certificate 
of  freedom. 

2.  Blacks  or  mulattoes  having  certificates  of  freedom  must  enter 
descriptions  of  their  children  with  the  circuit  clerk. 

3.  No  person  shall  bring  in  blacks  or  mulattoes  for  the  purpose  of 
freeing  them  unless  they  give  bond  in  $1,000  for  the  good  behavior  of 
the  freedman. 

4.  All  resident  free  blacks  or  mulattoes  must  register  their  freedom 
with  the  clerk  of  the  court. 

5.  No  person  shall  hire  a  mulatto  or  black  who  has  not  a  certificate 
of  his  freedom. 

6.  No  person  shall  in  any  way  hide  or  secrete  runaway  slaves. 

7.  Blacks  and  mulattoes  found  without  certificates  of  freedom  could 
be  arrested,  advertised  and  sold. 

8.  Provides  for  reclaiming  blacks  and  mulattoes. 

9.  Fixes  penalties  for  kidnapping  negroes  and  mulattoes. 

10.  Regulates  food,  clothing,  and  lodging,  to  be  provided  for  ser- 
vants. 

11.  Makes  contracts  of  indenture  transferable. 

12.  Provides  for  whipping  lazy  blacks  or  mulattoes  who  are  ser- 
vants or  slaves. 

13.  Provides  penalty  for  masters  who  are  unjust  to  their  servants 
or  slaves. 

14.  All  contracts  between  master  and  servant  void  during  period  of 
service. 

15.  Courts  are  to  hear  complaints  from  servants  who  are  citizens 
of  any  one  of  the  states. 

16.  Servants  may  hold  personal  property. 

17.  No  negro,  mulatto  or  Indian  can  hold  any  other  than  one  of  his 
own  complexion  as  a  servant. 

18.  No  person  must  buy  of  or  sell  to  slaves  or  servants. 

19.  Where  free  persons  are  finable,  slaves  and  servants  shall  be 
whipped — twenty  lashes  for  every  $8  fined. 

20.  Servants  (indentured  servants)   shall   upon    the    expiration    of 
their  service  be  entitled  to  certificates  of  freedom. 

21.  Slaves  and  servants  found  ten  miles  from  their  master's  home 
without  a  pass  may  be  arrested  and  whipped. 

22.  Slaves  and  servants  found  "visiting"  on  one's  plantation  may 
be  whipped  ten  lashes. 

23.  Slaves  or  servants  who  are  guilty  of  sedition  are  to  be  whipped 
thirty-nine  lashes. 

24.  Persons  permitting  dancing  or  revelling  by  slaves  or  servants 
shall  be  fined  $25. 

25.  This  section  makes  it  the  duty  of  officers  to  make  arrests,  and 
inflict  the  corporeal  punishment.     Slaves  and  others  of  color  could  as- 
semble with  written  permission  of  masters. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


139 


These  black  laws  as  they  were  called  were  passed  in  1819,  and  re- 
mained upon  our  statute  books  till  February  12,  1853. 

IN  THE  NEW   CAPITAL 

When  the  legislature  convened  in  December,  1820.  it  met  in  the 
new  capital  city,  Vandalia.  At  the  time  this  spot  was  selected  as  the 
capital  it  was  in  a  great  wilderness.  The  commissioners  were  author- 
ized to  sell  lots  and  to  apply  the  proceeds  in  meeting  the  expenses  of 
building  and  equipping  the  new  capitol  building.  The  town  was  care- 
fully laid  out  and  lots  offered  for  sale.  These  were  bought  for  busi- 
ness sites  and  for  homes,  and  the  place  soon  had  the  air  of  business 


THE  CAPITOL  AT  VANDALIA,  Now  USED  AS  THE  FAYETTE  COUNTY 

COURTHOUSE 

about  it.  Many  of  the  lots  were  sold  on  time  and  the  purchasers  failed 
to  make  payments.  In  such  cases  the  lots  returned  to  the  state  and 
were  resold. 

ATTEMPTED   FINANCIAL   RELIEF 

The  second  general  assembly  was  elected  in  August,  1820,  and  met 
in  December  of  that  year  in  the  new  capitol  at  Vandalia.  There  was 
in  1819  and  1820,  great  distress  in  the  west,  especially  resulting,  it 
was  thought,  from  the  character  of  the  principal  circulating  medium. 
The  "wild  cat"  banks  which  had  sprung  up  since  the  expiration  of 
the  charter  of  the  old  United  States  bank  in  1811,  numbered,  in  1819, 
something  like  four  hundred,  and  there  was  great  confusion  in  the 
circulation  notes  from  these  banks.  In  1820  the  banks  in  the  neighbor- 
ing states  to  Illinois  began  to  suspend  specie  payment,  and  those  in 
Illinois  soon  found  themselves  unable  to  stem  the  current  and  were 


140  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

obliged  to  suspend.  The  money  which  the  immigrants  brought  with 
them  into  the  west  was  often  worthless,  and  it  is  said  there  were  thou- 
sands of  dollars  of  counterfeit  money  in  circulation.  Many  towns  that 
were  laid  out  in  the  new  western  states  had  sprung  up  like  mushrooms, 
and  wilted  down  like  the  mown  grass  before  the  summer  sun.  Great 
distress  prevailed  and  no  one  seemed  to  be  able  to  suggest  a  remedy. 
Everyone  waited  for  the  meeting  of  the  legislature,  thinking  there 
would  surely  be  someone  in  that  body  who,  Moses-like,  could  lead  the 
people  through  the  desert. 

A  part  of  the  distress  of  the  times  came  from  the  indebtedness  of 
the  people  for  their  lands.  In  1800,  when  the  lands  were  put  upon  the 
market  in  smaller  quantities,  the  price  was  fixed  at  two  dollars  per 
acre.  One-fourth  of  this  amount  or  fifty  cents  per  acre,  must  be  paid 
in  cash,  and  on  the  other  three-fourths,  a  credit  of  several  years  was 
given,  or  if  the  purchaser  preferred  he  could  pay  all  cash  at  once  in 
which  case  the  price  was  one  dollar  and  sixty-four  cents  per  acre. 
Most  people  preferred  to  buy  on  time  and  such  people  were  careless 
about  making  the  deferred  payments.  The  government  became  lenient 
and  few  ever  suffered  for  their  negligence  in  making  their  final  pay- 
ments. By  1820  there  was  supposed  to  be  owing  to  the  general  govern- 
ment more  than  twenty  million  dollars  for  lands  bought  on  credit. 
Congress  was  memorialized  to  bring  some  sort  of  relief  to  the  people. 
Senator  Richard  M.  Johnson  of  Kentucky,  introduced  a  bill  which 
was  enacted  into  law,  providing  that  those  indebted  to  the  government 
for  lands  might  relinquish  enough  land  to  pay  the  debt  and  thus  receive 
a  clear  title  to  the  rest  of  the  land.  The  law  also  provided  that  here- 
after the  price  of  government  land  should  be  one  dollar  and  twenty- 
five  cents  per  acre — cash. 

The  legislature  set  itself  earnestly  to  the  task  of  bringing  relief  by 
chartering  the  "Illinois  State  Bank  with  a  capital  of  five  hundred 
thousand  dollars,  backed  by  the  credit  of  the  sovereign  state  of  Illinois. 
For  the  convenience  of  the  people  the  bank  was  to  have  branches.  The 
parent  bank  was  to  be  located  at  Vandalia,  with  branches  at  Edwards- 
ville,  Brownsville,  Shawneetown,  and  Albion.  Bills  of  the  denomina- 
tions of  one,  two,  three,  five,  ten,  and  twenty  dollars  were  ordered 
printed.  The  bills  drew  two  per  cent  interest  and  were  redeemable 
inside  of  ten  years.  The  bank  was  chartered  for  ten  years.  The  charter 
provided  that  the  money  might  be  loaned  in  quantities  of  one  hundred 
dollars  on  personal  security  and  one  thousand  dollars  on  real  estate 
security.  Bills  to  the  amount  of  three  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
dollars  were  ordered  printed,  and  distributed  among  the  banks  accord- 
ing to  the  population  in  the  several  localities  where  the  banks  were 
located. 

It  must  not  be  understood  that  this  gigantic  financial  scheme  went 
into  operation  without  vigorous  opposition.  When  the  bill  was  before 
the  lower  house  the  banks'  friends,  who  were  in  a  majority,  refused 
to  go  into  committee  of  the  whole,  hoping  thereby  to  prevent  their 
speaker,  John  McLean,  from  participating  in  the  debate.  He  was  in- 
dignant at  that  sort  of  treatment  and  immediately  resigned  his  place 
as  speaker  and  took  his  place  on  the  floor  and  warned  his  colleagues 
with  clearness  of  reasoning  and  accuracy  of  prophetic  vision,  of  the 
ills  which  would  come  to  the  people  and  to  the  state.  But  his  power 
as  an  orator  and  his  force  as  a  logician  availed  little,  as  the  bill  was 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  141 

triumphantly  passed.  When  the  bill  came  before  the  governor  and 
the  supreme  court  as  the  board  of  revision,  it  was  vetoed,  but  the 
measure  was  promptly  passed  over  the  veto. 

Shortly  after  the  bill  became  a  law,  a  resolution  was  before  the 
senate  asking  the  secretary  of  the  treasury  to  accept  the  issue  of  the 
Illinois  State  Bank  in  payment  of  land.  Lieutenant  Governor  Pierre 
Menard,  who  was  presiding  over  the  senate,  did  not  approve  of  the 
resolution  and  did  not  believe  the  secretary  of  the  treasury  would 
accept  the  bills  in  payment  for  lands,  and  while  the  debate  continued, 
became  deeply  interested.  The  debate  ended  and  the  vote  must  be 
taken.  The  doughty  Frenchman  said,  ' '  Zhentlesmen  of  de  senate !  It 
is  moved  and  second  dat  de  notes  of  dis  bank  be  made  land  office 
money.  All  in  favor  of  dat  motion  say  aye;  dose  against  it  say  no. 
De  ayes  have  it,  and  now  Zhentlesmen  I  bet  you  one  hundred  dollar 
he  never  be  made  land  office  money."  Mr.  Menard  had  made  a  true 
prediction. 

The  history  of  this  bank  can  be  written  in  a  few  words.  There  was 
no  real  provision  made  for  the  redemption  of  the  bank's  issue,  the  ex- 


BANK  BILL  ISSUED  BY  THE  EDWARDSVILLE  BANK  IN  1821 

pectation  being  that  the  bills  would  always  remain  at  or  above  par. 
The  bills  actually  fell  to  twenty-five  per  cent  of  their  face  value  and 
soon  ceased  to  circulate.  For  ten  years  it  was  a  source  of  great  disap- 
pointment to  its  friends  and  a  menace  to  the  growth  and  prosperity 
of  the  state.  The  charter  expired  in  1831  and  the  state  borrowed  one 
hundred  thousand  dollars  in  order  to  close  up  its  business  and  every- 
body drew  a  sigh  of  relief. 

There  was  not  any  other  legislation  of  very  great  importance  at 
this  session.  The  two  houses  quarreled,  and  opposed  the  wishes  gener- 
ally of  the  governor.  However,  there  were  created  several  new  coun- 
ties, namely:  Lawrence,  Greene,  Sangamon,  Pike,  Hamilton,  Mont- 
gomery, Fayette.  At  this  time  the  Pike  county  boundary  read  as 
follows:  "Up  the  middle  of  the  Illinois  river  from  its  mouth  to  the 
fork;  up  the  south  fork  (Kankakee)  to  the  Indiana  state  line;  north 
with  the  state  line  to  the  north  boundary  of  the  state ;  west  with  the 
said  state  line  to  the  west  boundary  of  the  state ;  thence  with  said 
boundary  to  the  place  of  beginning."  It  will  be  noticed  that  Chicago 
was  in  Pike  county. 


142  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

MILITARY  TRACT 

Shortly  after  the  War  of  1812,  congress  set  aside  in  the  territory 
of  Illinois,  what  afterwards  came  to  be  called  the  "Illinois  Military 
Tract,"  for  the  payment  of  the  soldiers  of  the  War  of  1812.  This 
bounty  land  as  it  is  frequently  called,  lay  west  of  the  Illinois  river  and 
was  bounded  on  the  west  by  the  Mississippi,  and  extended  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty-nine  miles  north  of  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois  river.  For 
a  few  years  after  the  close  of  the  war,  immigration  to  this  region  was 
quite  active,  but  by  1820,  and  for  a  year  or  so  later,  very  few  settlers 
came.  It  is  said  that  the  titles  to  the  land  did  not  long  remain  in  the 
hands  of  the  soldiers,  but  that  they  were  soon  held  by  speculators. 

THE  ENGLISH  PRAIRIE  SETTLEMENT 

Reference  has  already  been  made  to  the  conditions  of  this  country 
at  the  close  of  the  War  of  1812.  Everything  favored  immigration. 
The  Indians  were  gradually  becoming  reconciled  to  the  presence  of 
the  whites.  They  ceded  large  tracts  of  land  to  the  United  States,  and 
the  government  was  taking  steps  to  have  those  lands  settled  as  rapidly 
as  possible.  Lands  in  the  west  were  being  rapidly  surveyed,  towns 
were  springing  up,  and  offices  were  established,  steam  navigation  on 
the  western  rivers  was  reducing  the  time  and  danger  of  the  journey 
to  the  west,  and  at  the  same  time  increasing  the  comforts  of  travel. 
The  government  offered  land  at  $2  an  acre  with  the  privilege  of  paying 
one-fourth  cash  and  three-fourths  on  time.  Many  travelers  through 
the  west,  upon  returning  to  New  England  and  to  the  middle  and 
southern  states,  gave  flattering  reports  upon  the  richness  of  the  soil, 
abundance  of  game,  and  the  superiority  of  the  climate. 

In  the  older  states  to  the  east  of  the  Alleghanies,  the  war  produced 
many  conditions  which  favored  the  movement  of  immigration  into  the 
west.  New  England  had  previous  to  the  war  been  a  commercial  sec- 
tion. They  built  ships  and  engaged  in  the  carrying  trade.  Manu- 
facture was  not  then  regarded  as  a  line  of  industry.  The  embargo,  the 
non-intercourse  act,  and  the  war  made  the  New  Englanders  a 
manufacturing  people.  When  the  war  was  over,  men  could  not  easily 
adjust  themselves  to  the  new  conditions.  Wages  were  low,  work  was 
scarce,  and  business  deranged.  Under  these  conditions  people  were 
easily  persuaded  to  cast  their  lot  in  the  rising  west.  The  route  of 
travel  for  the  New  Englanders  was  usually  up  the  Mohawk  valley,  by 
Oswego,  up  Lake  Ontario,  over  the  Niagara  portage,  down  the  Alle- 
ghany  river  to  Pittsburg,  and  thence  down  the  Ohio.  Another  route 
for  the  Chesapeake  region  was  up  the  Potomac,  across  the  mountains 
to  Wheeling,  and  thence  down  the  Ohio.  For  the  people  of  the  Caro- 
linas  the  route  lay  across  the  mountains  into  the  upper  valleys  of  the 
Cumberland  and  Tennessee  rivers  and  thence  to  southern  Indiana, 
Southern  Illinois  or  to  Missouri. 

Not  only  was  there  a  large  immigration  from  the  Atlantic  states 
into  the  newer  western  states,  but  from  the  close  of  the  Napoleonic 
wars  in  Europe,  there  was  a  steady  stream  of  immigration  from  Eng- 
land to  this  country.  In  1815  England's  debt  had  reached  the  enor- 
mous sum  of  £831,000.000,  specie  payments  were  suspended,  and  the 
paper  money  was  rapidly  depreciating.  Prices  were  soaring  upwards, 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  143 

the  harvests  were  bad,  and  legislation  was  against  the  poor.  The 
"Corn  laws"  were  passed  in  1815  which  provided  that  no  corn  (grain) 
should  be  imported  until  the  price  should  reach  80s  per  quarter.  In 
case  one's  income  from  his  labor  would  not  support  him,  he  must  be 
supported  from  the  "poor  rates."  Thousands  of  soldiers  and  sailors 
who  had  helped  to  win  England 's  victories  in  the  past  fifteen  or  twenty 
years,  were  then  without  employment.  Of  644  ships  in  England's 
navy,  530  went  out  of  service.  The  use  of  machinery  was  another  cause 
of  idleness  everywhere,  and  riots  were  the  order  of  the  day.  There 
was  great  need  of  reform  in  the  political  world.  Some  boroughs  with 
not  more  than  a  half  dozen  voters  would  send  two  representatives  to 
parliament.  Some  great  cities  like  Manchester  and  Birmingham  were 
without  representation  in  parliament. 

Many  prominent  Englishmen  attempted  to  right  the  wrongs.  Among 
those  who  were  struggling  to  better  the  conditions  in  England  at  this 
time  was  one  William  Cobbett,  the  publisher  of  a  vigorous  little  news- 
paper called  the  Political  Register.  In  addition  to  publishing  the 
Register,  he  was  a  pamphlet-writer  and  for  his  strong  denunciation 
of  the  wrongs  perpetrated  on  his  fellow  countrymen,  he  was  arrested, 
fined,  and  imprisoned.  At  the  end  of  two  years  he  was  released  upon 
bail  and  came  to  America  and  settled  on  Long  Island.  While  here,  in 
1818,  he  wrote  a  pamphlet  or  book,  descriptive  of  this  country,  dedi- 
cated to  his  friend  Timothy  Brown,  Esq.,  of  Peckham  Lodge,  Surrey. 
In  the  dedication  he  says:  This  book  "I  dedicate  to  you  in  testimony 
of  my  consistent  remembrance  of  the  many,  many  happy  hours  I  have 
spent  with  you,  and  of  the  numerous  acts  of  kindness  which  I  have 
received  at  your  hands.  You  were  one  of  those  who  sought  acquaintance 
with  me,  when  I  was  shut  up  in  a  felon's  jail  for  having  expressed  my 
indignation  at  seeing  Englishmen  flogged  in  the  heart  of  England, 
under  a  guard  of  bayonets  and  sabres,  and  when  I  had  on  my  head  a 
thousand  pounds  fine  and  seven  years'  recognizances.  You  at  the  end 
of  two  years  took  me  from  the  prison,  in  your  carriage,  to  your  house, 
you  and  your  kind  friend  Walker,  are  even  yet  held  in  bonds  for  my 
good  behavior,  the  seven  years  not  being  expired." 

This  Mr.  Cobbett  lived  on  Long  Island,  and  in  1818  was  engaged 
in  the  culture  of  rutabagas.  It  seems,  also,  that  Mr.  Cobbett  was  very 
busily  engaged  in  trying  to  prevent  Englishmen  who  arrived  in  Boston, 
New  York,  Baltimore,  and  other  ports,  from  coming  into  the  western 
country.  Just  what  his  motives  were  we  may  not  know,  but  it  has  been 
surmised  that  he  was  in  the  employment  of  speculators  and  others  who 
were  interested  in  keeping  the  immigrants,  those  from  England  as 
well  as  those  who  were  leaving  the  Atlantic  coast,  from  coming  into 
this  western  country.  In  the  preface  of  the  book  above  referred  to, 
he  says:  "Yet  it  was  desirable  to  make  an  attempt,  at  least,  towards 
settling  the  question,  whether  the  Atlantic  or  the  western  countries 
were  the  best  for  English  farmers  to  settle  in." 

In  1816  to  1817  several  men  of  prominence  in  England  agitated  the 
idea  of  coming  to  America.  It  was  just  while  this  stir  was  going  on 
in  England  that  Edward  Coles,  embassador  from  the  President,  James 
Madison,  to  the  Czar  of  Russia,  while  on  his  return  trip,  spent  several 
weeks  in  England  (probably  in  the  spring  of  1817).  There  he  met 
Morris  Birkbeck  then  a  man  fifty-four  years  of  age.  He  was  at  that 
time  the  lessee  of  a  large  estate  called  Wanborough,  near  London.  He 


144  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

was  greatly  interested  in  Mr.  Coles'  description  of  the  prairies  in  this 
western  country.  He  and  George  Flower,  who  was  also  a  man  of  cul- 
ture and  means,  determined  upon  the  planting  of  a  colony  in  the  broad 
prairies  of  Illinois.  Mr.  Birkbeck  sold  out  his  lease  for  $55,000  and 
sailed  from  London  in  April,  1817.  George  Flower  had  preceded  Birk- 
beck the  previous  year  (1816),  and  had  visited  the  western  prairies, 
and  returned  to  Virginia  where  he  passed  the  winter  of  1816  to  1817. 
During  this  winter  he  was  much  in  company  with  Thomas  Jefferson, 
to  whom  he  had  letters  of  introduction  from  La  Fayette.  When  Birk- 
beck landed  at  Norfolk,  Virginia,  in  the  month  of  June,  1817,  his  friend, 
George  Flower,  joined  him  and  they  proceeded  west  to  the  Illinois 
country  by  way  of  the  Ohio  river,  and  Vincennes.  From  here  they 
went  into  the  prairie  afterwards  called  English  Prairie.  These  two 
Englishmen  each  planted  a  colony.  Birkbeck  called  his  settlement 
Wanborough  after  his  old  home  in  England;  Mr.  Flower  called  his 
Albion,  which  is  an  old  name  for  England.  The  former  settlement 
was  about  two  miles  west  of  Albion. 

These  settlements  came  to  be  known  as  the  "English  Prairie  Settle- 
ments" and  were  visited  by  all  the  travelers  whether  seeking  homes 
in  the  new  state  or  as  mere  passers-by  viewing  the  new  country.  It 
also  bore  the  name  of  "The  Marine  Settlement"  on  account  of  the  fact 
that  many  of  the  settlers  in  that  locality  were  once  mariners. 

Birkbeck  bought  sixteen  thousand  acres  of  land  in  the  immediate 
locality  of  Albion,  and  hoped  to  sell  a  large  portion  of  it  to  actual 
settlers.  Mr.  Birkbeck  was  a  highly  educated  gentleman  and  yet  was 
not  afraid  of  manual  labor.  Mr.  Flower  settled  what  afterward  came 
to  be  Albion  though  he  himself  lived  a  mile  or  so  distant  at  what  was 
called  "Park  House,"  a  country  seat  after  the  style  of  the  English 
country  residences. 

George  Flower  returned  to  England  in  1817  or  1818  and  brought 
to  this  new  English  settlement  his  father,  Richard  Flower,  his  mother, 
his  sisters  and  two  brothers.  His  family  reached  Lexington,  Kentucky, 
in  the  late  fall  or  early  winter  and  remained  here  till  the  next  June, 
1819. 

When  Mr.  George  Flower  left  the  English  settlement  to  return  to 
England  for  his  father  and  other  members  of  the  family,  it  was  under- 
stood that  Mr.  Birkbeck  would  purchase  land  for  Mr.  George  Flower 
and  have  a  residence  by  the  time  he  should  return.  In  June,  1819, 
when  George  Flower  landed  at  Shawneetown  the  entire  family  walked 
to  Albion,  a  distance  of  forty-five  miles,  and  upon  arriving  at  Albion 
found  no  house  of  any  kind  in  which  they  might  live.  It  seems  that 
an  estrangement  had  grown  up  between  Mr.  George  Flower  and  Mr. 
Birkbeck  which  was  the  occasion  of  there  being  two  settlements,  Albion 
and  Wanborough. 

While  living  at  Lexington  the  father,  Richard  Flower,  wrote  to 
friends  in  England  in  answer  to  certain  questions  in  which  these  peo- 
ple were  interested.  In  speaking  of  slavery  he  says:  "It  is  this  that 
keeps  the  wealth  of  Europe  from  pouring  its  treasures  into  the  fertile 
regions  of  Kentucky  and  the  industry  of  thousands  from  approaching 
the  state.  It  would  be  painful  to  relate  all  the  horrors  I  have  beheld 
in  slavery  under  its  mildest  forms.  Whites,  full  of  whiskey,  flogging 
their  slaves  for  drinking  even  a  single  glass.  Women,  .  .  .,  smart- 
ing under  the  angry  blow,  or  the  lash,  .  .  .  lacking  food  in  the 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  145 

midst  of  abundance,  and  clothing  insufficient  to  satisfy  the  demands 
of  even  common  decency." 

On  August  16,  1819,  the  same  gentleman  writing  from  "Illinois, 
near  Albion,"  describes  the  new  home.  He  speaks  particularly  of  the 
improved  state  of  health  of  all  the  people  of  the  settlement.  He  urges 
immigration  to  the  western  prairies  rather  than  to  stop  on  the  Atlantic 
shores.  The  prairies  were  easily  broken  and  the  grazing  was  abundant. 
Servants  were  scarce  on  account  of  the  ease  with  which  young  women 
found  husbands.  Female  help  commanded  from  $8  to  $10  per  month. 
On  the  English  prairie  which  stretched  from  the  Little  Wabash  east- 
ward to  the  Bonpas  creek,  a  distance  of  sixteen  miles,  and  extending 
north  and  south  four  miles,  there  were  sixty  English  families  and 
about  one  hundred  and  fifty  American  families.  Counting  five  per- 
sons to  each  family  we  have  one  thousand  and  fifty  inhabitants  of  the 
English  prairie  in  1819.  "As  to  the  reward  of  his  industry,  every 
farmer  who  conducted  a  farm  in  England,  may  here  become  the  pro- 
prietor of  his  own  soil  with  that  capital  which  affords  him  only  a 
tenant's  station,  a  precarious  subsistence  in  his  own  country;  an  in- 
ducement, I  should  think,  sufficient  to  make  thousands  follow  our  steps, 
and  taste  the  blessings  of  independence  and  the  sweets  of  liberty." 
On  the  subject  of  slavery  Mr.  Flower  speaks  with  the  earnestness  of 
a  Phillips,  a  Garrison,  or  a  Giddings.  ' '  One  human  being  the  property 
of  another!  No!  ...  I  rejoice,  my  dear  friend,  in  the  choice  the 
English  have  made  of  a  free  state ;  and  am  certain  we  shall  be  able  to 
cultivate  from  the  services  of  free  men,  cheaper  than  those  who  culti- 
vate by  slaves."  In  this  same  letter  Mr.  Flower  says  "the  log  cabins, 
the  receptacles  of  the  insect  tribe  are  no  longer  erected.  I  have  had 
the  pleasure  of  laying  the  first  brick  foundation  in  Albion ;  it  is  to  be 
an  inn  where  travelers,  I  hope,  may  find  rest  without  disturbance  from 
insects.  We  have  also  nearly  completed  our  market  house  which  is 
sixty  feet  by  thirty.  A  place  of  worship  is  begun. ' '  Services  were  held 
each  Lord's  day  by  some  member  of  the  colony.  It  was  the  intention 
which  was  aftervard  carried  out  to  establish  a  reading  room  in  the 
church  building  which  should  be  open  on  Sunday  afternoon. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  prices  prevailing  in  Albion  in  1819:  A 
fine  turkey,  25c;  fowls  (chickens),  12c;  beef,  5c;  eggs,  12^0;  cheese, 
30c;  butter  (scarce),  16c;  bacon,  15c;  flour,  $9  per  bbl. ;  deer  (whole 
carcass  including  skin),  $1.50;  melons,  12i/2c;  honey,  $1  per  gal.; 
whiskey,  $1  per  gal. ;  fine  Hyson  tea,  $2  per  Ib. ;  moist  sugar,  31c ; 
coffee,  62c;  fish,  3c. 

On  January  18,  1820,  Mr.  Richard  Flower  writes  again  to  friends 
in  England.  He  speaks  of  the  drouth  of  the  preceding  autumn  and 
says  they  have  few  wells  and  are  obliged  to  buy  water  at  25c  a  barrel, 
brought  from  a  neighboring  spring.  Farm  laborers  are  scarce.  For 
Christmas  dinner  they  had  a  company  of  thirty-two  at  Park  House, 
the  Flower  homestead.  They  danced  to  the  music  of  instrument  and 
song.  The  Sunday  service  was  attended  by  forty  or  fifty  persons,  and 
in  the  afternoon  the  library  and  reading  rooms  were  quite  well 
patronized. 

Mr.  Birkbeck,  whose  residence  was  a  couple  of  miles  west  of  Albion, 
at  Wanborough,  was  also  busily  engaged  in  opening  up  his  lands  and 
providing  for  the  comfort  and  advancement  of  those  who  might  settle 
near  him. 


146  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

This  settlement  was  visited  by  a  Mr.  Hulme,  an  Englishman,  in 
1818-19,  the  next  year  after  the  founding.  Birkbeck  was  then  living  in 
a  log  cabin  with  his  two  sons  and  two  daughters.  The  cabin  cost  $20. 
He  was  beginning  a  more  pretentious  home  near  the  cabin.  Mr.  Birk- 
beck had  about  him  no  settlers  except  his  own  laborers  and  some 
American  neighbors  who  had  settled  near  his  lands.  Mr.  Birkbeck,  at 
the  time,  had  no  land  in  cultivation  except  for  garden  purposes.  He 
had  occupied  his  time  since  arriving  in  building  houses,  barns,  mills, 
fences,  etc.  His  fences  Mr.  Hulme  describes  as  follows:  "He  makes 
a  ditch  four  feet  wide  at  the  top,  sloping  to  one  foot  wide  at  the  bot- 
tom, and  four  feet  deep.  With  the  earth  that  comes  out  of  the  ditch 
he  makes  a  bank  on  one  side,  which  is  turfed  toward  the  ditch.  Then 
a  long  pole  is  put  up  from  the  bottom  of  the  ditch  to  two  feet  above 
the  bank;  this  is  crossed  by  a  short  pole  from  the  other  side,  then  a 
rail  is  laid  along  between  the  forks." 

Two  years  later  Mr.  John  Woods,  an  Englishman,  seeking  a  suit- 
able home  in  the  new  country,  visited  both  Albion  and  Wanborough. 
Of  the  latter  place  he  says  there  was  a  store  or  two,  twenty-five  cabins, 
a  tavern,  several  lodging  houses,  several  carpenters,  bricklayers,  brick- 
makers,  blacksmiths,  wheelwrights,  sawyers,  a  tailor  and  a  butcher. 
At  this  time  also  they  were  building  an  oxmill  (tread  mill),  a  malt 
house,  a  new  brick  tavern,  and  several  new  houses.  They  were  also 
digging  wells.  Mr.  Birkbeck  had  by  this  time  finished  his  frame  house. 
Wanborough  was  just  in  the  edge  of  a  small  woods.  The  town  was 
laid  out  in  blocks  by  streets  running  east  and  west  and  north  and  south. 

Albion,  two  miles  east  of  Wanborough,  had  at  this  time,  1820, 
twenty  cabins,  a  place  of  worship,  a  market  house,  two  taverns,  two 
stores,  a  surgeon,  carpenters,  brick-makers,  bricklayers,  wheelwrights, 
blacksmiths,  sawyers,  a  shoemaker,  and  several  wells. 

Four  miles  east  of  Albion  was  the  Bonpas  bridge  across  the  Bonpas 
creek.  At  this  point  was  a  water  sawmill,  a  tavern,  and  a  store  with  a 
few  cabins.  The  mill  was  owned  by  Messrs.  Le  Serre  and  Grutt,  lately 
from  the  Channel  islands. 

Mr.  Woods  settled  in  WTanborough  and  owned  farms  in  the  neigh- 
borhood. In  speaking  of  stock  running  at  large,  he  says:  "Beasts, 
sheep,  and  pigs  are  all  marked  in  their  ears,  by  cutting  and  notching 
them  in  all  possible  directions  and  forms,  to  the  great  disfigurement 
of  some  of  them ;  yet  these  marks  are  absolutely  necessary  in  this  wild 
country  where  every  person's  stock  runs  at  large;  and  they  are  not 
sometimes  seen  by  their  owners  for  several  months,  so  that  without 
some  lasting  mark  it  would  be  utterly  impossible  to  know  them  again. 
Most  people  enter  their  marks  with  the  clerk  of  the  county  in  which 
they  reside.  .  .  .  The  county  clerk's  fee  for  entering  a  mark  is 
12i/2  cents." 

These  English  settlers  were  a  very  thrifty  people  and  the  popula- 
tion grew  rapidly.  In  the  vote  for  or  against  the  slave  proposition  in 
1824,  there  were  five  hundred  and  eighty  votes,  which  would  represent 
a  population  of  nearly  three  thousand  people.  The  settlements  are  of 
considerable  interest  since  it  is  generally  conceded  that  no  other  man 
did  more  than  Mr.  Birkbeck  to  save  the  state  from  the  curse  of  slavery 
in  1824. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  147 

GOVERNOR  BOND  RETURNS  TO  His  FARM 

The  constitution  of  1818  did  not  require  the  governor  to  reside  at 
the  capital  only  during  the  session  of  the  legislature;  so,  as  soon  as 
the  legislature  adjourned,  Governor  Bond  returned  to  his  farm  near 
Kaskaskia,  and  there  he  lived  as  a  retired  gentleman,  entertaining  his 
friends  in  the  simple  sports  with  horses  and  hounds.  The  constitution 
forbade  his  succeeding  himself.  He  therefore  secured  the  federal  posi- 
tion of  register  of  the  land  office,  which  he  held  for  several  years. 

By  the  census  of  1820,  Illinois  had  fifty-five  thousand  two  hundred 
and  one  inhabitants  and  the  population  was  increasing  rapidly. 


CHAPTER  XIV 
ADMINISTRATION  OF  GOVERNOR  COLES 

A  MAN  WITH  CONVICTIONS — THE  SLAVERY  ISSUE — A  BITTER  CAMPAIGN 
— THE  RESULT — THE  SANGAMON  COUNTRY — A  DISTINGUISHED  VISITOR 
— THE  ELECTIONS  OP  1826 

With  the  first  political  maneuvering  in  the  spring  of  1822,  began  one 
of  the  most  momentous  conflicts  that  was  ever  fought  out  on  the  soil  of 
the  great  Prairie  state.  There  was  no  dearth  of  ambitious  men,  and 
candidates  were  plentiful.  There  were  four  candidates  for  governor. 
They  were  Edward  Coles,  James  B.  Moore,  Joseph  Phillips  and  Thomas 
C.  Browne. 

The  last  named  gentleman  was  an  associate  judge  on  the  supreme 
bench.  Phillips  was  chief  justice  of  the  same  court.  Moore  was  major 
general  in  the  state  militia.  Coles  was  at  this  time  register  of  the  land 
office  at  Edwardsville. 

A  MAN  WITH  CONVICTIONS 

Mr.  Coles  was  a  Virginian,  having  been  born  in  that  state  December 
15,  1786.  He  received  a  very  liberal  education  in  William  and  Mary 
College,  though  he  did  not  graduate.  Mr.  Coles  had  all  the  breeding  of 
a  Virginia  gentleman.  His  father  was  a  colonel  in  the  Revolutionary 
war  and  counted  among  his  immediate  friends  and  companions  such 
prominent  men  as  Patrick  Henry,  Jefferson,  Madison,  Monroe,  the  Ran- 
dolphs, and  others  not  less  prominent.  Young  Coles,  after  leaving  col- 
lege in  his  senior  year  on  account  of  his  health,  spent  the  next  two  years 
at  his  father's  home,  Enniscorthy,  an  old  Virginia  estate,  in  company 
with  the  above  named  statesmen  and  in  constant  reading  in  his  father's 
library. 

His  father  died  in  1808  leaving  the  son  the  estate  and  the  slaves. 
President  Madison  had  been  won  by  the  polish,  education,  and  character 
of  the  young  man,  and  offered  him  the  position  of  private  secretary. 
This  was  accepted,  and  thus  he  spent  several  years  of  his  life  in  the  very 
midst  of  the  stirring  times  of  the  War  of  1812.  During  these  years  of 
life  at  the  national  capital  he  became  deeply  interested  in  the  problems  of 
slavery.  His  correspondence  shows  him  to  be  a  profound  student  of 
social  problems.  Jefferson  opened  his  heart  to  the  young  man  on  this 
great  question  and  no  doubt  the  stand  that  Jefferson  took  against  slav- 
ery greatly  strengthened  young  Coles  in  his  convictions  of  the  sacred- 
ness  of  human  freedom. 

In  1815,  he  resigned  his  position  as  private  secretary  to  the  President 

148 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  149 

and  traveled  extensively  in  the  west  to  determine  where  he  might  like  to 
settle.  He  drove  with  horse  and  buggy,  accompanied  by  a  servant  and 
a  saddle  horse,  over  the  states  of  Qhio,  Indiana,  and  Illinois.  From  St. 
Louis  he  went  to  New  Orleans,  and  from  there  to  Savannah,  Georgia,  by 
water,  and  thence  to  his  estate  in  Virginia. 

In  the  summer  of  1816,  the  President  found  it  needful  to  send  to 
Russia  a  special  envoy  upon  a  diplomatic  mission  of  great  delicacy. 
Edward  Coles  was  selected  for  the  mission.  He  performed  this  service 
with  great  distinction.  He  returned  by  way  of  Prance  where  he  was 
presented  to  the  French  king,  Louis  XVIII,  and  was  fortunate  to  meet 
General  LaFayette  at  a  dinner  given  by  Albert  Gallatin,  minister  to 
France.  In  London,  Mr.  Coles  met  many  prominent  Englishmen.  It 


GOVERNOR  EDWARD  COLES 

was  here  he  met  Morris  Birkbeck,  founder  of  .the  English  Prairie  set- 
tlements. On  his  return  to  America,  he  visited  Illinois  again  in  1818. 
He  was  in  Kaskaskia  when  the  constitutional  convention  was  in  session 
and  remained  and  used  his  influence  to  prevent  the  insertion  of  a  clause 
permitting  slavery.  He  returned  to  Virginia  and  made  preparations  to 
move  to  Illinois. 

On  the  first  of  April,  1819,  he  started  from  his  Virginia  home  for  the 
newly  admitted  state  of  Illinois.  With  him  he  brought  his  slaves  left  by 
his  father's  death  some  four  or  five  years  before.  At  Brownsville,  Penn- 
sylvania, he  bought  two  large  flat  bottomed  boats  upon  which  he  em- 
barked with  all  his  earthly  belongings,  including  twenty -six  slaves. 

The  second  morning  out  from  Pittsburg  he  called  all  his  slaves 
around  him  and  informed  them  that  he  now  gave  each  of  them  his  free- 
dom. He  told  them  that  they  were  at  liberty  to  go  on  down  the  river 
with  him  or  return  to  Virginia.  If  they  went  with  him  he  intended  to 
give  each  head  of  a  family  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  and 
would  help  them  in  other  ways  to  get  started  in  the  world.  Mr.  Coles 
desired  to  study  the  effect  of  the  news  upon  them  and  said:  "The  ef- 
fect upon  them  was  electrical.  They  stared  at  me  and  each  other,  as 


150  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

if  doubting  the  accuracy  or  reality  of  what  they  heard.  In  breathless 
silence  they  stood  before  me,  unable  to  utter  a  word,  but  with  counte- 
nances beaming  with  expressions  which  no  word  could  convey  and  which 
no  language  can  describe." 

At  or  near  Louisville,  Kentucky,  he  sold  his  boats  and  sent  his  goods 
and  newly  freed  slaves  to  Edwardsville  by  land.  Before  disembarking 
Mr.  Coles  issued  a  certificate  of  emancipation  to  his  slaves.  Of  this 
matter  we  shall  speak  in  the  future. 

When  President  Monroe  heard  that  Mr.  Coles  was  corning  to  Illinois 
to  live,  he  gave  him  the  appointment  of  register  of  the  land  office  at 
Edwardsville.  This  he  held  till  he  was  elected  governor  in  1822. 

It  will  be  seen  that  Mr.  Coles  was  comparatively  a  newcomer  in  Illi- 
nois when  the  canvass  began  for  governor  in  1822.  It  is  said,  however, 
that  he  was  a  very  successful  electioneerer.  His  position  in  the  land  of- 
fice was  of  great  value  to  him  in  that  it  threw  him  in  touch  with  all  the 
settlers  from  that  part  of  the  state.  He  was  always  well  dressed,  courte- 
ous, and  dignified.  It  was  understood  that  Coles  was  an  anti-slavery 
man,  while  his  chief  opponent,  Mr.  Justice  Phillips,  was  in  favor  of  that 
"peculiar  institution."  Moore  was  also  anti-slavery,  while  Browne  was 
for  slavery.  The  vote  for  Coles  and  Moore,  the  anti-slavery  candidates, 
was  3,332,  while  for  the  other  two  it  was  5,303.  This  shows  that  on  a 
test  of  the  slavery  and  anti-slavery  sentiment  the  vote  was  overwhelm- 
ingly for  slavery.  And  so  the  slavery  party  elected  the  lieutenant  gov- 
ernor and  other  state  officers  as  well  as  a  majority  in  both  branches  of 
the  general  assembly.  Daniel  P.  Cook  was  elected  to  congress  against 
John  McLean.  Mr.  Cook  had  served  the  state  in  congress  and  voted 
against  the  Missouri  compromise.  The  great  measure  had  been  supported 
by  Senators  Edwards  and  Thomas,  of  Illinois,  and  the  people  were  con- 
siderably wrought  up  over  the  subject. 

The  legislature  convened  at  Vandalia  the  first  Monday  in  December, 
1822.  This  was  on  the  second,  and  on  the  fifth  the  newly  elected  gover- 
nor gave  his  inaugural  address.  This  speech  by  the  governor  recom- 
mended— First,  that  the  legislature  foster  the  agricultural  society  which 
was  then  in  its  infancy.  Second,  he  suggested  that  a  subject  of  prime 
importance  was  the  whole  financial  problem.  Third,  he  was  hopeful 
that  the  state  might  soon  see  its  way  clear  to  take  steps  to  connect  the 
Mississippi  river  with  Lake  Michigan  by  means  of  a  canal.  Fourth,  he 
was  very  deeply  impressed  with  the  injustice  of  slavery,  and  recom- 
mended the  freeing  of  the  slaves  in  this  state.  He  also  called  attention 
to  the  need  of  revising  the  laws  on  kidnapping,  and  the  black  laws. 
This  speech  very  greatly  disturbed  the  legislature,  as  well  as  the  people 
of  the  state.  Nearly  all  the  people  had  come  from  slave-holding  states 
and  whether  they  ever  had  been  slave  owners  or  not  they  were  easily 
touched  on  this  subject. 

THE  SLAVERY  ISSUE 

The  slavery  sentiment  was  rapidly  crystallizing  around  the  idea  that 
a  convention  ought  to  be  called  to  revise  the  constitution ;  for  only  in 
this  way  could  there  be  any  hope  of  introducing  slavery  permanently 
into  the  state.  That  portion  of  the  governor's  address  which  related  to 
slavery  was  referred  to  a  committee  which  brought  in  a  report  and  a 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  151 

resolution.    The  report  reviewed  the  history  of  slavery  up  to  the  admis- 
sion of  the  state  and  then  said : 

Your  committee  have  now  arrived  at  the  period  when  Illinois  was 
admitted  into  the  Union  upon  equal  footing  with  the  original  states  in  all 
respects  whatever,  and  whatever  causes  of  regret  were  experienced  by  the 
restriction  imposed  on  the  first  convention,  your  committee  was  clearly 
of  the  opinion  that  the  people  of  Illinois  have  now  the  same  right  to 
alter  their  constitution  as  the  people  of  the  state  of  Virginia  or  any 
other  of  the  original  states,  and  may  make  any  disposition  of  negro 
slaves  they  choose  without  any  breach  of  faith  or  violation  of  contract, 
ordinances  or  acts  of  congress ;  and  if  the  reasoning  employed  be  correct 
there  is  no  other  course  left  by  which  to  accomplish  the  object  of  this 
portion  of  the  governor's  message,  than  to  call  a  convention  to  alter  the 
constitution. 

A  resolution  was  introduced  which  read  as  follows:  "Resolved, 
That  the  general  assembly  of  the  state  of  Illinois  (two-thirds  thereof 
concurring  therein),  do  recommend  to  the  electors  at  the  next  election 
for  the  members  of  the  general  assembly  to  vote  for  or  against  a  conven- 
tion, agreeably  to  the  seventh  article  of  the  constitution."  It  was 
thought  the  report  of  the  committee  would  be  readily  concurred  in.  It 
was  also  known  that  in  the  senate  the  resolution  would  easily  pass,  but 
in  the  house  one  vote  was  lacking  to  give  the  constitutional  two-thirds 
majority.  Now  began  one  of  the  most  questionable  political  schemes 
which  has  ever  been  carried  out  in  the  history  of  the  state.  Briefly  the 
story  is  this: 

.Pike  county,  which  included  nearly  all  of  Illinois  north  and  west  of 
the  Illinois  river,  had  returned  Nicholas  Hansen  as  a  member  of  the 
house.  His  seat  was  contested  by  John  Shaw.  Very  early  in  the  session 
the  house  decided  the  contest  by  deciding  that  Hansen  was  entitled  to 
his  seat.  The  election  of  the  United  States  senator  was  next  in  order. 
Jesse  B.  Thomas  was  returned  to  the  United  States  senate. 

Nicholas  Hansen  had  voted  with  the  slavery  side  on  all  preliminaries 
and  it  was  assumed  he  would  vote  for  the  final  resolution  which  would 
call  for  a  vote  by  the  people  on  the  question  of  a  convention.  The  reso- 
lution had  previously  passed  the  senate  and  on  February  11,  1823,  was 
awaiting  the  action  of  the  house.  When  the  house  roll  was  called,  Han- 
sen voted  against  the  resolution  and  it  failed  by  one  vote.  The  conven- 
tion people  were  wild  with  anger.  Great  confusion  reigned,  and  open 
threats  were  made. 

A  motion  now  prevailed  in  the  house  to  reconsider  the  seating  of 
Hansen.  The  proposition  carried  because  it  needed  only  a  majority. 
The  next  move  was  to  strike  out  the  name  of  Hansen  in  the  original  reso- 
lution seating  him,  and  insert  the  name  of  Shaw.  While  this  motion 
was  pending  a  great  mass  meeting  was  held  at  night  at  the  state  house, 
and  inflammatory  speeches  were  made.  Hansen  was  burned  in  effigy 
and  the  great  mob  marched  through  the  streets  with  drums,  and  bugles, 
and  shouts  of  "Convention  or  death."  The  resolution  unseating  Han- 
sen and  seating  Shaw  carried.  The  next  step  was  to  bring  Shaw  from 
Pike  county  to  Vandalia  as  quickly  as  possible.  It  was  one  hundred 
and  thirty  miles  to  where  Shaw  lived.  The  going  and  coming  would 
ordinarily  occupy  five  days,  but  in  this  case  the  round  trip  was  made  in 
four  days,  an  average  of  sixty-five  miles  of  travel  each  day.  Upon  the 


152  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

coming  of  Shaw  the  remainder  of  the  disgraceful  proceedings  occupied 
but  little  time.  The  call  was  issued  for  a  vote  for  or  against  the  conven- 
tion to  revise  the  constitution. 

As  soon  as  the  resolution  was  passed  a  great  concourse  of  the  friends 
of  slavery  gathered  in  a  mob ;  and  headed  by  members  of  the  supreme 
court,  and  other  men  in  high  stations  in  life,  they  visited  the  residence 
of  Governor  Coles,  and  in  a  most  indecent  manner  insulted  and  reviled 
tne  chief  executive.  Gov.  John  Reynolds  says  in  his  history:  "There 
was  in  the  seat  of  government  a  wild  and  indecorous  procession  by 
torch-light  and  liquor." 

It  seems  that  the  friends  of  freedom  would  have  been  crushed  to 
earth  to  rise  no  more,  but  the  unjustifiable  proceedings  of  the  past  few 
weeks  had  only  given  renewed  strength  to  the  little  band  of  patriots. 
They  must  have  had  an  enlarged  vision  through  faith  of  what  the  great 
heart  of  the  people  would  do  when  the  question  came  up  to  them  at  the 
polls. 

A  BITTER  CAMPAIGN 

And  now  began  one  of  the  most  important  campaigns,  because  so 
far-reaching  in  its  consequences,  that  was  ever  waged  in  this  country. 
The  slavery  party  had  become  intoxicated  with  its  success  and  was  not 
in  a  frame  of  mind  to  take  a  dispassionate  view  of  the  problem  yet  to  be 
solved.  So  far  the  supporters  of  slavery  had  succeeded  by  mere  brute 
force  and  unscrupulous  scheming,  but  now  the  victory  cannot  be  so  won. 
They  must  go  before  the  people  and  show  the  advantages  of  slavery,  if 
it  have  any.  It  is  now  a  question  to  be  solved  by  the  Christian  conscience 
of  the  people. 

But  the  struggle  before  the  people  and  among  the  people,  was  des- 
tined to  be  a  very  bitter  and  violent  one.  When  selfish  personal  inter- 
ests are  at  stake,  and  when  great  and  fundamental  principles  are  in- 
volved, the  contest  is  sure  to  be  accompanied  by  demonstrations  of  vio- 
lent passion.  "Never  was  such  canvass  made  in  the  state  before.  The 
young  and  old,  without  regard  to  sex,  entered  the  arena  of  party  strife ; 
families  and  neighborhoods  became  divided,  and  surrendered  themselves 
up  to  the  bitter  warfare.  Detraction  and  personal  abuse  reigned  su- 
preme, while  conflicts  were  not  infrequent." 

The  anti-convention  people  were  not  underestimating  the  seriousness 
of  the  struggle,  nor  were  they  hesitating  about  making  the  sacrifices 
which  they  saw  must  be  made  in  order  to  gain  the  victory  for  freedom. 
And  so  they  willingly  and  without  reserve  offered  their  all — time,  money, 
and  energy  upon  the  altar  of  their  conviction. 

Both  parties  to  the  struggle  selected  the  same  means  for  the  accom- 
plishment of  their  ends.  Among  these  we  may  mention: 

1.  Public  appeals  through  posters,  hand  bills,  and  pamphlets. 

2.  Public  addresses  given  before  audiences  wherever  assembled. 

3.  Secret  societies  organized  in  various  parts  of  the  state. 

4.  Newspapers. 

Just  before  the  adjournment  of  the  legislature  the  convention  people 
drew  up  "An  Appeal"  to  the  people  of  the  state  in  which  they  pointed 
out  the  urgent  necessity  of  revising  the  constitution  of  the  state.  In 
this  "appeal"  not  a  word  was  said  about  slavery,  that  topic  being  care- 
fully omitted. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  153 

The  "Antis"  were  on  the  point  of  issuing  a  similar  appeal  when  they 
were  anticipated  by  the  pro-slavery  people.  This  appeal  by  the  non- 
convention  people  was  a  vigorous  arraignment  of  the  recent  action  in 
the  senate  and  house.  One  extract  from  that  appeal  shows  the  spirit 
of  the  entire  document : 

What  a  strange  spectacle  would  be  presented  to  the  civilized  world 
to  see  the  people  of  Illinois,  yet  innocent  of  this  great  national  sin  and  in 
the  full  enjoyment  of  all  the  blessings  of  free  governments,  sitting  down 
and  in  solemn  convention  to  deliberate  and  determine  whether  they 
should  introduce  among  them  a  portion  of  their  fellow  beings,  to  be  cut 
off  from  those  blessings,  to  be  loaded  with  the  chains  of  bondage,  and  ren- 
dered unable  to  leave  any  other  legacy  to  their  posterity  than  the  in- 
heritance of  their  own  servitude ;  the  wise  and  good  of  all  nations  would 
blush  at  our  own  political  depravity.  Our  profession  of  republicanism 
and  equal  freedom  would  incur  the  derision  of  despots  and  the  scorn 
and  reproach  of  tyrants.  We  should  write  the  epitaph  of  free  govern- 
ment upon  its  own  tombstone. 

In  addition  to  these  two  "appeals,"  there  were  hundreds  of  pamph- 
lets, tracts,  hand  bills,  and  flaming  posters  scattered  broadcast  over  the 
country.  It  is  said  some  of  these  pamphlets,  bills,  etc.,  were  very  in- 
flammatory. The  authors  of  much  of  this  literature  as  well  as  those 
who  distributed  it  were  not  known  to  the  general  public.  But  it  must 
not  be  thought  that  everything  of  this  kind  was  done  in  the  dark,  for 
many  on  both  sides  were  very  bold  in  their  work. 

Perhaps  no  one  man  by  means  of  his  pen,  did  more  to  bring  about  the 
final  and  triumphant  defeat  of  the  slavery  party  than  did  Morris  Birk- 
beck,  of  Wanborough,  Edwards  county.  Mr.  Birkbeck,  as  we  have  seen, 
was  a  cultured  and  wealthy  English  gentleman  whom  Governor  Coles 
had  met  in  London.  Mr.  Birkbeck  wrote  with  great  force,  and  being 
thoroughly  sympathetic  with  the  anti-convention  people  gave  up  his  time 
and  energy  unreservedly.  His  writings  were  published  in  the  Shawnee- 
town  Gazette  edited  by  Henry  Eddy.  He  also  published  pamphlets 
which  were  scattered  throughout  the  state.  The  articles  published  in 
the  Shawneetown  Gazette  were  signed  Jonathan  Freeman,  and  were 
widely  copied.  It  must  be  remembered  that  the  English  people  who 
were  thinking  of  leaving  England  from  1815  to  1824  were  too  intelligent 
and  too  patriotic  to  leave  an  unbearable  slavery  to  church  and  state  in 
England,  and  to  migrate  to  a  country  where  there  was  a  slavery  many 
times  more  galling  and  degrading — a  slavery  which  wherever  it  had 
been  planted,  had  blighted  the  purity  of  the  social  and  family  life, 
paralyzed  the  wage  earning  capacity  of  the  honest  laborers,  corrupted 
the  teaching  of  holy  writ,  prohibited  the  general  spread  of  intelligence, 
and  brazenly  usurped  the  functions  of  government. 

Morris  Birkbeck  was  only  voicing  the  sentiments  of  the  English  immi- 
grants in  Illinois  as  with  ease  and  grace  and  great  warmth  he  engaged 
in  the  great  struggle. 

Another  man  to  whom  great  praise  should  be  given  was  the  Rev. 
John  M.  Peck,  a  Baptist  preacher  of  St.  Clair  county.  He  was  also  an 
agent  of  the  American  Bible  Society.  Mr.  Peck  was  constantly  going 
over  the  country,  and  he  thus  had  an  excellent  opportunity  to  plead 
with  the  people  and  distribute  the  pamphlets  prepared  by  others. 

The  second  means  was  the  public  addresses  which  the  orators  delivered 


154 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


wherever  and  whenever  they  had  opportunity.  The  attractiveness  of  a 
personal  explanation  of  the  value  of  slavery  or  of  the  curse  of  it,  drew 
to  the  public  gatherings  vast  multitudes  of  people.  The  county  seats 
were  the  centers  of  the  agitation.  On  all  public  occasions  whenever 
there  was  an  opportunity,  some  one  was  ready  with  a  speech  upon  the 
question  of  convention  or  no  convention.  At  the  public  dinner,  toasts 
were  given  which  revealed  the  spirit  in  which  the  contest  was  carried 
on.  Some  of  them  ran  as  follows:  "The  convention — the  means  of  in- 
troducing and  spreading  the  African  family."  "The  enemies  of  the 


HENRY  EDDY,  EDITOR  OF  THE  SHAWNEE  CHIEF  AND  OF  THE  ILLINOIS 
EMIGRANT,  IN  1818 ;  AND  OF  THE  ILLINOIS  GAZETTE,  1819 

convention — may  they  ride  a  porcupine  saddle  on  a  hard  trotting  horse 
a  long  way  without  money  or  friends."  "The  state  of  Illinois — the 
ground  is  good,  prairies  in  abundance.  Give  us  plenty  of  negroes,  a  lit- 
tle industry,  and  she  will  distribute  her  treasures."  One  need  hardly 
be  told  that  these  toasts  are  the  exponents  of  an  intemperate,  untenable, 
and  losing  policy.  There  is  no  sign  of  seriousness,  no  indication  of  a 
high  and  lofty  ideal  of  social  and  political  institutions.  They  breathe 
the  spirit  of  revenge,  and  of  a  losing  cause. 

In  contrast  with  these  we  need  only  to  quote  a  few  toasts  given  by 
the  fearless  public  speakers  who  were  at  all  times  conscious  of  the  just- 
ness of  their  cause — the  men  who  were  fighting  a  winning  battle.  ' '  The 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  155 

Crisis — it  is  big  with  the  fate  of  Illinois,  and  requires  every  friend  of 
freedom  to  rally  under  the  banners  of  the  constitution."  "The  Free- 
dom of  the  Late  Northwest — may  it  be  like  the  little  stone  that  was  cut 
out  without  hands  and  became  a  great  mountain  and  filled  the  earth." 
"The  convention  or  no  convention — the  world  listens  to  hear  the  de- 
cision of  our  moral  and  political  character  pronounced  by  ourselves." 
"We  have  confidence  in  the  people  of  Illinois  to  support  a  free  consti- 
tution and  prohibit  slavery;  if  we  should  be  disappointed  in  the  people, 
we  still  have  confidence  in  the  general  government. ' ' 

The  third  agency  enumerated  above,  in  carrying  on  the  campaign,  was 
a  kind  of  secret  society.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Peck  was  quite  active  in  organiz- 
ing these  societies.  These  organizations  merely  got  together  the  people 
of  any  locality  for  consideration  of  the  plans  of  work  and  for  the  hearing 
of  reports  and  for  the  encouragement  of  those  who  might  get  disheart- 
ened. There  was  a  sort  of  parent  society  in  St.  Clair  county,  and  in 
other  counties  thirteen  other  societies  were  organized. 

To  counteract  the  work  of  these  societies  the  convention  people  or- 
ganized what  they  called  executive  committees  of  ten  members  each. 
Vandalia  was  the  headquarters  for  this  work  of  the  executive  committee. 

Among  the  public  speakers  who  favored  the  convention  were :  Rich- 
ard M.  Young,  Jesse  B.  Thomas,  John  McLean,  E.  K.  Kane,  John  Rey- 
nolds, Thomas  Reynolds,  ex-Governor  Bond,  etc.  All  these  men  were 
prominent  in  public  life. 

Some  of  those  who  took  the  stump  against  the  convention  were: 
Governor  Coles,  the  Rev.  John  M.  Peck,  Daniel  P.  Cook,  and  others. 

The  fourth  agency  in  this  great  struggle  was  the  newspapers.  As 
soon  as  it  was  seen  that  the  struggle  would  have  to  be  settled  by  the  peo- 
ple, there  was  an  unconscious  turning  of  the  people  to  the  newspapers 
for  direction  and  information. 

There  were  five  papers  in  Illinois  at  that  time.    These  were : 

The  Edwardsville  Spectator,  Edwardsville. 

The  Illinois  Intelligencer,  Vandalia. 

The  Illinois  Gazette,  Shawneetown. 

The  Republican  Advocate,  Kaskaskia. 

The  Republican,  Edwardsville. 

The  first  three  were  against  the  convention,  while  the  last  two  named 
favored  the  convention. 

THE  RESULT 

At  last  the  struggle  was  over.  For  eighteen  months  the  state 
had  been  in  the  vortex  of  a  great  storm.  The  cloud  will  soon  break 
away  and  the  sun  will  shine  once  more. 

On  the  first  Monday  in  August,  1824,  the  general  election  was  held 
and  it  was  in  this  general  election  that  this  question  must  be  settled. 
It  was  an  eventful  day.  The  cause  of  freedom  was  on  trial.  The 
jury  was  the  11,612  voters  who  had  the  decision  in  their  hands.  The 
result  was  the  occasion  of  great  rejoicing.  The  following  is  the 
vote  as  furnished  by  the  secretary  of  state : 

Abstract  of  vote  for  and  against  convention  August  2,  A.  D.  1824: 

For  Against 

Counties  Conve"tion  Convention 

Alexander    75  51 

Bond  63  240 


156  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

For  Against 

Counties                                                                                                  Convention  Convention 

Clark    31  116 

Crawford   134  262 

Edgar   3  234 

Edwards    189  391 

Fayette    125  121 

Franklin    170  113 

Fulton    5  60 

Gallatin    597,  133 

Greene    164  379 

Hamilton    173  85 

Jackson    180  93 

Jefferson    99  43 

Johnson 74  74 

Lawrence    158  261 

Madison    351  563 

Marion    45  52 

Monroe    .141  196 

Montgomery 74  90 

Morgan    42  432 

Pike    19  165 

Pope    273  124 

Randolph   357  284 

Sangamon    153  722 

St.  Clair 408  506 

Union    213  240 

Washington    112  173 

Wayne    189  111 

White    .                                                        .  355  326 


4972  6640 

Majority  against  the  convention  1,668. 

Some  notion  may  be  had  of  the  interest  in  the  convention  question 
by  noting  the  votes  for  presidential  electors  compared  with  the  vote 
on  the  convention  question.  Pope  cast  397  votes  on  the  convention 
proposition,  while  her  total  vote  for  electors  was  84.  Gallatin  cast 
on  convention  question  730  votes,  on  electors  315.  St.  Clair  on  con- 
vention question  914,  on  electors  399. 

The  total  vote  cast  on  the  convention  question  was  11,612,  while 
the  total  vote  for  presidential  electors  at  election  in  November  of 
the  same  year  in  the  thirty  counties,  was  but  4,671. 

Many  explanations  have  been  offered  of  the  vote  on  the  conven- 
tion. There  were  at  least  four  distinct  elements  in  the  population 
as  regards  this  question. 

1.  The  remnant  of  the  old  French  settlers  who  held  slaves  by 
reason  of  the  treaties  of  1763,  and  of  1783,  and  of  Virginia's  deed  of 
session  of  1784. 

2.  The   pro-slavery  instincts  of  the  immigrants   from   the   slave 
holding  states. 

3.  The  anti-slavery  views  of  the  immigrants  from  the  free  states. 

4.  The  intense  feeling  against  slavery  held  by  the  English   set- 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  157 

Hers  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  state,  as  well  as  that  of  other  European 
settlers. 

The  first  named  class  lived  chiefly  in  Randolph  county,  St.  Glair 
and  Madison.  These  three  counties  cast  1,116  votes  for  the  conven- 
tion. 

The  second  class  had  settled  in  White,  Gallatin,  and  Pope  counties. 
These  cast  1,225  votes  for  the  convention. 

The  result  of  the  vote  in  Edgar,  Clark,  Morgan,  Sangamon,  and 
Fulton  shows  the  character  of  the  settlers.  They  voted  very  largely 
against  the  convention.  The  vote  in  these  five  counties  stood  234 
for  and  1,464  votes  against  the  convention. 

The  influence  of  the  English  settlers  may  be  seen  in  the  vote  in 
Edwards  county.  But  there  were  Irish,  Scotch,  and  Germans  scat- 
tered throughout  the  state  and  their  votes  were  against  slavery. 

THE  SANGAMON  COUNTRY 

The  state  election  at  which  was  decided  the  convention  question 
was  held  in  August,  1824,  while  the  election  for  President  was  held 
in  November  following.  The  diffrence  in  the  vote  at  the  two  elec- 
tions, only  three  months  apart,  shows  a  considerable  falling  off  in  in- 
terest in  politics.  Everything  quieted  down  after  the  August  elec- 
tion, and  the  bitterness  engendered  in  the  long  campaign  vanished 
as  the  morning  mists. 

When  the  legislature  which  was  elected  on  August  2,  met  in  De- 
cember (first  Monday)  and  organized,  the  governor  sent  in  his  mes- 
sage. He  congratulated  the  people  upon  the  result  of  the  contest 
over  slavery,  and  again  recommended  the  abolition  of  the  slaves  held 
by  the  descendants  of  the  French  settlers.  But  the  legislature  did 
not  follow  the  governor's  suggestion,  although  a  majority  of  the 
members  were  probably  anti-slavery  in  sentiment.  Two  United 
States  senators  were  elected,  John  McLean  and  Elias  Kent  Kane, 
both  very  strong  convention  advocates.  The  judiciary  was  reorgan- 
ized by  creating  a  circuit  court  of  five  judges.  The  supreme  court 
consisted  of  four  judges.  These  nine  judges  were  elected  by  the 
legislature  as  provided  by  the  constitution  of  1818,  Article  IV.  The 
new  chief  justice  of  the  supreme  court,  William  Wilson,  was  a  young 
man  of  twenty-nine  years  and  had  lately,  1817,  come  into  the  state. 
He  was  a  young  man  of  unusual  parts.  In  less  than  two  years  after 
coming  he  had  been  put  upon  the  supreme  bench  and  had  now  served 
five  years  in  that  position.  He  served  the  state  till  1848  when  he 
retired  to  the  quiet  of  a  very  hospitable  home  near  Carmi  where  he 
died  in  1857.  All  the  other  members  of  both  circuit  and  supreme 
courts  were  prominent  men. 

The  legislation  at  this  session  was  of  general  interest.  A  law  was 
passed  which  provided  for  the  maintenance  of  public  roads.  Up  to 
this  time  the  law  had  required  that  every  able-bodied  man  should 
work  the  roads  five  days  in  each  year.  In  this  way  the  roads  were  main- 
tained. The  new  law  levied  a  tax  in  proportion  to  one's  property 
which  amount  might  be  paid  in  money  or  in  labor.  Another  law  was 
passed  which  provided  a  system  of  free  public  schools  much  like  the 
law  of  today.  This  school  law  was  brought  forward  by  Joseph  Dun- 
can then  a  senator  from  Jackson  county.  The  basis  of  this  law  was 


158 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


that  the  voters  might  levy  a  tax  for  the  support  of  the  schools  in  any 
district,  but  the  taxes  must  not  be  more  than  one-half  of  one  per  cent 
on  the  assessed  valuation,  nor  more  than  ten  dollars  for  any  one  per- 
son. The  tax  might  be  paid  in  cash  or  in  merchantable  produce.  A 
poll  tax  could  also  be  assessed  on  all  who  had  the  care  of  children  of 
school  age. 

This  law  was  seriously  maimed  in  the  legislature  of  1826-7  and  in 


MAP  SHOWING  THE  VOTE  ON  THE  SLAVERY  QUESTION  IN  1824.     WHITE 
COUNTIES  WERE  FOR  FREEDOM,  BLACK  COUNTIES  FOR  SLAVERY 

1829  it  was  further  crippled,  and  little  if  any  of  the  original  idea 
which  Mr.  Duncan  had  worked  out  was  left  on  the  statute  books. 

At  this  session  also  the  supreme  court  was  authorized  to  revise 
the  laws  of  the  state  and  to  present  such  revision  to  the  next  legis- 
lature. This  the  court  did,  and  it  is  said  that  this  revision  has  been 
the  basis  of  our  laws  even  up  to  the  present  time. 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  159 

The  law  required  the  census  to  be  taken  every  five  years,  and  al- 
though the  contest  over  slavery  had  checked  immigration  during 
1823  and  1824,  yet  in  the  latter  part  of  1824  and  in  1825  streams  of 
population  poured  into  the  state  from  the  older  settled  parts  of  the  Un- 
ion. Travellers  who  had  visited  this  state  carried  into  the  east  and  even 
into  Europe  marvellous  stories  of  the  Sangamon  country.  The  name 
itself  is  poetic,  and  there  was  connected  with  the  expression  a  sort 
of  vision  of  paradise.  Ferdinand  Ernst,  in  1819-20,  visited  that  re- 
gion. He  was  a  German  traveller  who  reached  the  site  of  Vandalia 
before  the  sale  of  lots  took  place,  which  occurred  the  6th  of  Septem- 
ber, 1819.  From  here  he  visited  the  Sangamon  country.  There  was 
a  very  good  road  leading  from  Edwardsville  into  the  Sangamon 
country.  As  nearly  as  this  road  can  be  now  traced,  it  ran  in  almost 
a  straight  line  from  Edwardsville  to  the  present  city  of  Carlinville, 
passing  on  the  way  the  site  of  the  present  flourishing  city  of  Bunker 
Hill.  From  Carlinville  the  road  bent  to  the  east  of  north  passing  out 
of  the  present  county  of  Macoupin  at  the  northeast  corner,  three 
miles  east  of  the  present  city  of  Virden.  From  this  point  east  of  north 
to  a  point  very  near  Rochester,  and  thence  to  a  point  near  the  junc- 
tion of  the  south  branch  and  north  fork  of  the  Sangamon  river,  leav- 
ing the  site  of  the  present  capital  some  four  or  five  miles  to  the  west. 
From  here  the  road  continued  the  same  general  direction  to  the*  pres- 
ent city  of  Lincoln.  The  road  continued  this  general  direction  till 
it  left  the  present  county  of  Logan  at  the  old  Kickapoo  capital.  Here 
it  struck  Tazewell  county  and  thence  turned  northwest  to  Lake  Pe- 
oria.  This  was  the  route  taken  by  Governor  Edwards  in  his  campaign 
in  1812. 

Mr.  Ernst,  the  traveller,  took  this  road  in  1819.  He  started  from 
Vandalia  and  went  northwest,  crossed  Shoal  creek,  left  the  head 
waters  of  Silver  and  Sugar  creek  to  the  southwest,  passed  not  far 
from  Mt.  Olive  and  Gillespie,  and  came  into  the  road  described  above, 
a  few  miles  north  of  Bunker  Hill.  He  describes  the  big  prairie  which 
separates  the  head  waters  of  the  Macoupin  and  the  Sangamon.  He 
says  the  moment  one  passes  over  the  divide  into  the  drainage  basin 
of  the  Sangamon  he  sees  a  marked  difference  in  the  character  of  the 
soil.  The  second  night  out  the  traveller  stayed  with  a  family  on 
Sugar  creek,  about  two  miles  west  of  Pawnee.  Sixty  farms  had  been 
opened  on  this  stream  since  the  spring  of  1819.  The  sod-corn  was 
from  ten  to  fifteen  feet  high.  The  land  was  not  yet  surveyed  and 
could  not  be  for  some  three  years.  This  was  called  "the  beautiful 
land  of  the  Sangamon."  From  this  point  Mr.  Ernst  traveled  west 
in  a  circuit  around  the  present  site  of  Springfield  to  Elkhart  Grove. 
Here  lived  a  Mr.  Latham  who  had  thirty  acres  in  cultivation.  This 
farm  was  the  farthest  north  of  any  east  of  the  Illinois  river.  How- 
ever, there  were  some  farms  laid  out  at  the  old  Kickapoo  capital 
just  in  the  edge  of  Tazewell  county,  but  no  settlements  made.  Mr. 
Ernst  went  north  to  Salt  creek,  but  not  being  able  to  get  across  he 
retraced  his  steps. 

Mr.  Ernst  says: 

In  the  vicinity  of  this  town  (Vandalia)  is  a  large  amount  of  fine 
land;  but  every  one  is  full  of  praise  of  those  sixty  or  eighty  miles 
northward  upon  the  River  Sangamon.  The  expression  the  ''Sanga- 


160  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

mon  country,"  applied  to  all  that  country  through  which  the  San- 
gamon  river  and  its  branches  now.  Peck's  Gazetteer,  page  131,  says: 
This  country  contains  a  larger  quantity  of  rich  land  than  any  other 
in  the  state.  The  Sangamon,  in  particular,  is  an  Arcadian  region, 
in  which  nature  has  delighted  to  bring  together  her  happiest  combi- 
nations of  landscape.  It  is  generally  a  level  country.  There  is  a 
happy  proportion  of  timbered  and  prairie  lands.  The  soil  is  of  great 
fertility.  .  .  .  All  who  have  visited  this  fine  tract  of  country, 
admire  the  beauty  of  the  landscape,  which  nature  has  here  painted 
in  primeval  freshness. 

This  Sangamon  region  was  settled  by  immigrants  from  all  the 
older  states  but  probably  those  from  the  northern  states  predom- 
inated. More  than  200  families  had  settled  in  the  "Sangamon  coun- 
try" before  the  land  was  surveyed.  In  the  vote  on  the  convention 
question,  Sangamon  county  cast  875  votes — 153  for  and  722  against 
the  convention.  This  would  show  a  population  of  over  4,000  in  1824. 
It  also  means  that  these  settlers  were  from  the  free  states  chiefly. 

By  the  spring  of  1825,  the  result  of  the  slavery  contest  was  known 
in  all  the  older  states,  and  as  if  people  were  waiting  for  a  favorable 
report,  the  movement  of  immigration  began. 

The  fame  of  the  "Sangamon  country"  had  spread  into  all  the 
older  settled  portions  of  the  United  States  and  the  migrations  were 
largely  toward  that  region.  In  the  summer  of  1825,  the  road  leading 
into  the  "Sangamon  country"  was  literally  lined  with  movers  seek- 
ing new  homes.  In  Vandalia  alone  it  is  said  250  wagons  were  counted 
going  north  in  three  weeks. 

A  DISTINGUISHED  VISITOR 

The  summer  of  1825  was  a  memorable  one  for  the  new  state,  for 
in  the  earlier  days  of  this  summer,  a  notable  guest  was  entertained 
by  the  young  commonwealth.  The  guest  was  none  other  than  Gen- 
eral LaFayette,  soldier,  statesman,  and  patriot.  The  congress  of  the 
United  States  had  invited  General  LaFayette  to  visit  the  scenes  of 
his  military  achievement  and  to  mingle  once  more  with  the  thinning 
ranks  of  the  Revolutionary  heroes.  The  gracious  invitation  was  ac- 
cepted, and  on  July  12,  1824,  LaFayette  accompanied  by  his  son, 
George  Washington  LaFayette,  and  his  private  secretary,  M.  Levas- 
seur,  sailed  for  America. 

They  arrived  in  New  York  August  15,  and  were  received  on  Staten 
Island  by  Joseph  Bonaparte,  a  brother  to  the  great  Napoleon,  then 
a  resident  of  Bordentown,  New  Jersey.  General  LaFayette  was  re- 
ceived in  New  York  city  by  a  double  line  of  old  •  Revolutionary  sol- 
diers, amid  the  roar  of  cannon  and  the  strains  of  martial  music.  Every- 
where the  same  profound  respect  and  triumphant  welcome  awaited 
the  nation's  guest. 

Early  in  the  session  of  the  general  assembly  in  December,  1824, 
that  body  extended  a  cordial  invitation  to  General  LaFayette  to  visit 
Illinois.  This  invitation  from  the  state's  legislative  body  was  sup- 
plemented by  a  very  affectionate  letter  from  Governor  Coles.  On  Jan- 
uary 16,  1825,  LaFayette  replied  from  Washington  to  these  pressing 
invitations  to  visit  Illinois.  In  the  reply  he  says : 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  161 

It  has  ever  been  my  eager  desire  and  it  is  now  my  earnest  intention 
to  visit  the  western  states  and  particularly  the  State  of  Illinois.  .  .  . 
I  shall,  after  the  celebration  of  the  22d  of  February  anniversary  day, 
leave  this  place  for  a  journey  to  the  southern,  and  from  New  Orleans 
to  the  western  states,  so  as  to  return  to  Boston  on  the  14th  of  June, 
when  the  corner  stone  of  the  Bunker's  Hill  monument  is 'to  be  laid; 
a  ceremony  sacred  to  the  whole  Union,  and  in  which  I  have  been  en- 
gaged to  act  a  peculiar  and  honorable  part. 

On  the  12th  of  April,  1825,  LaFayette  wrote  to  Governor  Coles 
from  New  Orleans  saying  he  would  reach  Illinois  about  the  end  of 
the  month  of  April.  On  April  28,  the  steamboat  Natchez  arrived  at 
the  old  French  village  of  Carondelet,  below  St.  Louis,  with  General 
LaFayette  and  his  party.  He  was  accompanied  by  a  large  committee 


GENERAL  MARQUIS  DE  LAFAYETTE 

of  honor  from  the  southern  states.  The  morning  of  the  29th  of  April, 
Governor  Clark,  of  Missouri ;  Governor  Coles,  of  Illinois ;  Col.  Thomas 
H.  Benton,  and  others  repaired  to  Carondelet  to  receive  the  distin- 
guished visitors.  The  entire  party  moved  up  the  river  to  St.  Louis 
where  LaFayette  was  received  with  great  enthusiasm.  A  formal  re- 
ception was  held  at  the  mansion  of  Pierre  Choteau,  after  which  a 
public  reception  and  ball  was  attended  by  the  party  at  the  Massie 
hotel. 

On  the  morning  of  April  30,  Saturday,  the  Natchez  conveyed  La- 
Fayette and  a  distinguished  party  to  Kaskaskia,  the  old  seat  of  French 
empire  in  the  west.  A  vast  throng  of  patriotic  citizens  bade  him  wel- 
come. A  reception  was  held  at  the  home  of  Gen.  John  Edgar.  Gov- 
ernor Coles  delivered  a  glowing  address  of  welcome  to  which  LaFay- 
ette responded  with  considerable  feeling. 

Just  here  in  the  proceedings  a  very  touching  scene  occurred.  A 
few  old  Revolutionary  soldiers  who  had  fought  with  LaFayette  at 
Brandywine  and  Yorktown,  were  presented.  The  scene  was  very 
affecting. 


162 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


The  party  now  repaired  to  the  hotel  kept  by  Colonel  Sweet,  where  a 
banquet  was  spread.  This  hotel  had  been  profusely  decorated  by  the 
patriotic  ladies  of  the  town.  Laurel  wreaths,  roses,  and  wild  flowers 
filled  all  available  space.  The  ladies  had  also  brought  the  provision 
with  which  the  tables  were  loaded.  Col.  Pierre  Menard  sat  at  LaFay- 
ette's  right,  while  the  priest,  Father  Olivier,  sat  at  the  left. 

After  the  banquet  several  toasts  were  given : 

By  LaFayette — Kaskaskia  and  Illinois;  may  their  joint  prosperity 
evince  more  and  more  the  blessings  of  congenial  industry  and  free- 
dom. 

By  Governor  Coles — The  inmates  of  La  Granges  (LaFayette 's 
home);  let  them  not  be  anxious;  for  though  their  father  is  1,000 


THE  OLD  SWEET  HOTEL  IN  KASKASKIA,  IN  WHICH  GEN.  LAFAYETTE 
WAS  BANQUETTED  IN  1825 

miles  in  the  interior  of  America,  he  is  yet  in  the  midst  of  his  affec- 
tionate children. 

By  LaFayette 's  son — The  grateful  confidence  of  my  father's  chil- 
dren and  grandchildren,  in  the  kindness  of  his  American  family  to- 
wards him. 

By  Governor  Bond— General  LaFayette :  may  he  live  to  see  that 
liberty  established  in  his  native  country,  which  he  helped  establish 
in  his  adopted  country. 

This  last  toast  touched  a  tender  spot  in  the  heart  of  the  old  hero 
and  he  said  he  must  stand  while  they  drank  this  toast. 

A  grand  ball  was  given  at  the  residence  of  William  Morrison,  Sr. 
LaFayette  led  the  grand  march  with  Miss  .Alzire  Menard.  a  daugh- 
ter of  Pierre  Menard.  While  this  festivity  was  in  progress,  an  Indian 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


163 


woman  who  belonged  to  a  tribe  camped  near  by,  was  brought  to 
LaFayette.  She  presented  a  keep-sake  which  she  said  her  father 
gave  her.  It  was  a  letter  written  by  LaFayette  and  given  to  her 
father,  Chief  Panisciowa  of  the  Six  Nations.  This  chief  had  ren- 
dered valuable  service  to  the  American  cause,  and  this  letter  was  an 
expression  of  appreciation  from  LaFayette.  The  Indian  woman  was 
called  Mary.  She  was  an  educated  woman  and  could  speak  French 
and  English.  LaFayette  confirmed  her  story  of  the  letter. 

The  ball  closed  the  day's  reception,  and  at  12  o'clock  Saturday 
night  of  the  last  day  in  April,  the  Natchez  started  with  the  distin- 
guished party  for  Nashville,  Tennessee.  Governor  Coles  and  other 
Illinois  gentlemen  accompanied  the  party  to  Nashville. 

On  the  14th  of  May  the  boat  appeared  in  sight  of  Shawneetown. 
Extensive  preparations  had  been  made  to  receive  the  nation's  guest. 


THE  RAWLINGS  HOTEL  IN  SHAWNEETOWN,  WHERE  GEN.  LAFAYETTE 
WAS  DINED  IN  1825 

At  this  date  Shawneetown  was  a  straggling  village  with  but  a  few 
dwellings  other  than  mere  huts.  There  was  at  least  one  brick  house 
— possibly  two — no  more.  One  brick  was  a  hotel  and  was  known  in 
after  years  as  the  Rawlings  hotel.  This  house  stood  just  on  the  bank 
of  the  river.  A  walk  had  been  laid  from  the  hotel  door  to  the  land- 
ing, some  two  hundred  feet  down  the  bank  of  the  river.  This  walk 
was  covered  with  calico  and  then  strewn  with  flowers.  When  the 
boat  run  out  the  gang  plank  the  visitors  marched  to  the  hotel  door 
preceded  by  the  reception  committee.  The  walk  was  lined  on  oppo- 
site sides  with  the  people  who  threw  roses  and  flowers  in  LaFayette  'a 
path.  At  the  hotel  Judge  James  Hall  delivered  an  address  of  wel- 
come to  which  LaFayette  responded.  A  banquet  was  then  spread, 
after  which  a  general  hand  shaking  took  place.  The  distinguished 
visitors  left  in  the  afternoon  for  the  upper  Ohio. 

THE  ELECTIONS  OF  1826 

The  canvass  for  the  governorship  which  took  place  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1826  was  a  long  and  interesting  contest.     The  constitution  of 


164  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

1818  provided  that  the  governor  could  not  succeed  himself.  Gover- 
nor Coles  was  therefore  ineligible  for  re-election. 

There  were  three  who  announced  themselves  as  candidates  for 
governor.  They  were  Ninian  Edwards,  Thomas  Sloo,  and  Adolphus 
Frederick  Hubbard.  The  last  named  gentleman  was  the  lieutenant 
governor  with  Governor  Coles. 

Ninian  Edwards  was  no  stranger  to  the  people  of  Illinois.  He 
was  a  native  of  Maryland,  but  was  reared  in  Kentucky.  In  1809 
when  Madison  appointed  him  territorial  governor  of  Illinois,  he  was 
an  associate  justice  of  the  court  of  appeals  of  Kentucky.  He  served 
continuously  as  territorial  governor  till  Illinois  was  admitted  into 
the  Union  in  1818.  He  had  served  as  United  States  senator  from 
1818  to  1824.  He  became  engaged  in  a  quarrel  in  1824  with  the  secre- 
tary of  the  United  States  treasury,  William  H.  Crawford,  relative  to 
the  loss  of  money  in  the  bank  at  Edwardsville  and  also  concerning 
that  official's  management  of  the  national  finances.  He  was  not  able 
to  sustain  some  charges  against  Crawford  and  had  lost  standing  as 
a  result.  His  candidacy  was  an  effort  to  gain  his  former  high  stand- 
ing in  his  adopted  state. 

Thomas  Sloo  was  a  successful  merchant  at  Shawneetown  and  later 
at  McLeansboro.  He  came  of  a  noted  family,  and  was  himself  a 
courtly  gentleman.  He  had  never  practiced  public  speaking  and  so 
was  greatly  handicapped  in  the  race  against  so  polished  a  public 
speaker  as  Ninian  Edwards. 

It  is  said  of  Edwards  that  he  dressed  faultlessly,  and  was  a  "man 
with  a  noble,  princely  appearance."  He  made  his  canvass  of  the 
state  in  all  the  circumstance  of  a  Virginia  planter — broadcloth  suit, 
ruffled  shirt,  high  topped  boots,  carriage,  and  colored  servants.  He 
was  bold  in  his  attack  upon  the  state  bank  management  and  made 
little  or  no  effort  to  hold  his  former  friends  to  his  cause.  The  op- 
position argued  that  Edwards  was  old,  and  that  he  and  his  family 
and  near  kin  had  been  holding  office  since  the  territory  was  organ- 
ized. But  when  election  day  came  Ninian  Edwards  was  elected  gov- 
ernor for  four  years. 

There  were  two  candidates  for  the  office  of  lieutenant  governor, 
William  Kinney  and  Samuel  H.  Thompson.  Kinney  was  a  Baptist 
preacher  and  had  taken  an  active  part  in  the  convention  struggle  on 
the  pro-slavery  side  in  1824.  He  was  not  scholarly,  but  was  thor- 
oughly acquainted  with  the  people  and  was  sympathetic  with  them 
in  their  struggle  with  all  the  problems  of  a  new  country.  He  was 
not  averse  to  making  use  of  the  current  methods  of  electioneering  in 
those  days.  Mr.  Thompson  was  a  man  of  considerable  culture,  but 
timid,  and  not  having  previously  engaged  in  politics  the  experiences 
were  new  to  him  and  he  did  not  make  a  very  successful  canvass. 
Kinney  was  the  successful  candidate. 

There  was  another  election  in  the  fall  of  1826  which  created  no 
unusual  interest.  This  was  the  contest  for  congressional  honors. 
Daniel  P.  Cook  had  represented  the  state  in  congress  the  past  six 
years.  He  had  successively  beaten  John  McLean,  Elias  Kent  Kane, 
and  ex-Governor  Bond  for  congress,  and  had  risen  to  the  most  im- 
portant committee  chairmanship,  that  of  ways  and  means.  Cook 
was  an  anti-slavery  man  and  had  voted  for  John  Quincy  Adams  in 
1825  when  the  presidential  election  came  to  the  house.  This  was  the 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  165 

charge    against  him    in  1826,  for  Illinois    was  full  of    Jackson  Demo- 
crats. 

Joseph  Duncan  felt  therefore  that  he  was  justified  in  opposing  Mr. 
Cook  for  the  congressional  honors.  Mr.  Duncan  had  been  a  soldier, 
had  served  in  the  legislature,  was  a  strong  Jackson  man,  and  made 
a  thorough  canvass.  He  defeated  Cook  by  641  votes.  This  is  said  to 
be  the  first  canvass  in  Illinois  in  which  national  politics  entered  to 
any  extent  into  the  campaign. 


CHAPTER  XV 
NINIAN  EDWARDS,  GOVERNOR  OP  ILLINOIS 

THE  STATE  BANK — AN   INTERESTING  DOCTRINE — SCHOOL  LEGISLATION 
— THE  WINNEBAGO  WAR. 

The  third  election  for  governor  of  Illinois  occurred  in  August, 
1826.  The  candidates  were  Ninian  Edwards,  Thomas  C.  Sloo,  and 
Adolphus  F.  Hubbard.  Mr.  Hubbard  had  been  lieutenant  governor 
under  Governor  Coles.  Mr.  Sloo  was  a  prominent  business  man  from 
the  southeastern  part  of  the  state. 

THE  STATE  BANK 

Mr.  Edwards  had  been  a  prominent  figure  in  Illinois  since  the 
separation  of  Illinois  territory  from  the  Indiana  territory,  in  1809. 
At  that  time  he  was  appointed  governor  of  the  Illinois  territory  by 
President  Madison.  He  served  in  that  capacity  till  the  territory  was 
admitted  into  the  Union  in  1818.  He  then  served  as  senator  from 
Illinois  and  succeeded  himself  in  March,  1819.  In  1824  he  resigned 
to  accept  an  appointment  as  minister  to  Mexico.  Mr.  Crawford  was 
at  that  time  secretary  of  the  treasury  and  while  before  a  committee  of 
the  lower  house,  made  some  reference  to  Mr.  Edwards  which  the  latter 
took  as  a  reflection  upon  his  character.  Mr.  Edwards  sent  a  communi- 
cation to  the  lower  house  in  which  he  made  some  serious  charges  against 
the  management  of  the  treasury.  An  investigation  into  the  treasury 
department  showed  Mr.  Edwards'  charges  not  sustained  by  the  facts, 
and  Mr.  Edwards  resigned  his  mission  to  Mexico  and  sought  reelection 
as  a  vindication,  but  failing  of  reelection  he  offered  himself  as  a  candi- 
date for  governor  of  Illinois. 

His  canvass  was  made  upon  the  need  of  a  thorough  investigation 
of  the  affairs  of  the  State  Bank  of  Illinois.  The  opposition  to  Mr. 
Edwards'  canvass  came  from  some  of  the  strongest  men  in  the  state, 
especially  those  connected  with  the  banking  system.  However,  Mr. 
Edwards  had  some  good  help  in  three  gentlemen  of  prominence — 
Thomas  Ford,  William  H.  Brown,  and  David  J.  Baker. 

Upon  taking  the  oath  of  office  as  governor,  he  attacked  the  bank  in 
his  first  message,  as  well  as  in  special  messages.  He  also  attacked  the 
extravagance  in  state  expenditures,  as  well  as  the  uselessness  of  the 
circuit  court  judges.  He  forced  the  legislature  into  an  investigation 
of  the  affairs  of  the  bank,  but  the  committee  appointed  to  make  the 
investigation  made  a  whitewash  report,  and  again  Mr.  Edwards  was 
humiliated.  The  recently  organized  circuit  court  was,  however, 

166 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  167 

abolished,  excepting  that  Judge  R.  M.  Young  was  still  a  circuit  judge 
in  the  military  district. 

Another  matter  of  interest  was  the  beginning  of  the  work  which 
finally  led  to  the  establishment  of  the  penitentiary  system.  The  terri- 
torial laws  of  Indiana  and  Illinois  enumerated  the  various  punish- 
ments for  crimes,  consisting  of  whipping,  confinement  in  the  pillory 
and  stocks,  and  hanging  on  the  gallows.  The  jails  in  the  early  history 
of  the  country  were  so  dreadfully  shocking  that  the  description  of  them 
that  has  come  down  to  us  makes  us  sick  at  heart,  and  we  cannot  give 
them  full  publicity  in  these  pages.  The  Newgate  prison  in  Connecticut, 
is  described  as  follows :  ' '  The  only  entrance  to  it  was  by  means  of  a 
ladder  down  a  shaft  which  led  to  the  caverns  underground.  .  .  . 
The  darkness  was  intense ;  the  caves  reeked  with  filth ;  vermin  abounded ; 
.  .  .  In  the  dampness  and  the  filth  the  clothing  of  the  prisoners 
grew  mouldy  and  rotted  away.  Into  such  pits  and  dungeons  all  classes 
of  offenders  of  both  sexes  were  indiscriminately  thrust.  It  is  therefore 
not  at  all  surprising  that  they  became  seminaries  of  every  conceivable 
form  of  vice,  and  centers  of  the  most  disgusting  diseases.  .  .  .  Men 
confined  as  witnesses  were  compelled  to  mingle  with  the  forger,  be- 
smeared with  the  filth  of  the  pillory,  and  the  fornicator  streaming  with 
blood  from  the  whipping  post,  while  here  and  there  among  the  throng 
were  culprits  whose  ears  had  been  cropped,  or  whose  arms,  fresh  from 
the  branding  irons,  emitted  the  stench  of  scorched  flesh. ' ' 

It  is  to  be  hoped  these  scenes  were  never  witnessed  west  of  the 
Alleghanies.  But  it  is  true  that  the  places  of  confinement  in  Illinois 
were  shocking  and  the  forms  of  punishment  inhuman.  Dr.  Samuel 
Willard,  still  living  in  Chicago,  tells  what  he  saw  in  Carrollton,  Greene 
county,  this  state,  in  1832.  After  telling  of  a  public  hanging  which  was 
revolting,  he  says: 

Another  infliction  of  punishment  which  would  now  be  more  revolt- 
ing in  public  than  the  hanging  would  be,  I  saw  on  the  public  square 
in  Carrollton,  in  1832.  There  was  then  no  penitentiary  in  the  state, 
hence  other  penalties  had  to  take  the  place  of  confinement. 

Near  the  courthouse  on  the  public  square  there  was  set  a  strong 
post,  an  unhewn  log,  ten  feet  high  with  a  cross-piece  near  the  top.  I 
saw  a  man  brought  from  the  jail  by  the  sheriff  (Jacob  Pry)  and  a 
constable,  to  be  whipped  thirty  lashes  for  the  theft  of  a  horse.  He 
was  stripped  naked  to  the  hips,  his  hands  were  tied  and  the  rope  carried 
to  the  cross-piece  and  drawn  as  tight  as  could  be  without  taking  his 
feet  from  the  ground.  Then  Sheriff  Fry  took  that  terrible  instrument 
of  punishment  and  torture,  a  rawhide ;  .  .  .  the  sheriff  began  lay- 
ing strokes  on  the  culprit's  back,  beginning  near  his  neck  and  going 
regularly  down  one  side  of  the  backbone,  former  Sheriff  Young  count- 
ing the  strokes  aloud.  Each  stroke  made  a  red  blood  blister.  When 
fifteen  blows  had  been  counted  the  officer  paused  and  some  one  ran  to 
the  poor  wretch  with  a  tumbler  of  whiskey.  Then  the  other  side  of 
the  man  received  like  treatment.  Then  the  man's  shirt  was  replaced 
and  he  was  led  away  to  the  jail.  .  .  .  The  whipping-post  remained 
there  two  or  three  years,  but  I  never  heard  of  any  further  use  of  it. 

It  was  to  remedy  the  evils  of  confinement  in  jails  and  the  punish- 
ments for  offenses,  that  induced  John  Reynolds,  a  member  of  the  legis- 
lature in  1826-7,  to  introduce  a  bill  to  provide  a  penitentiary.  The 


168  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

\ 

measure  met  with  vigorous  opposition,  chiefly  on  the  ground  that  the 
financial  condition  of  the  young  state  would  not  justify  it.  Mr.  Rey- 
nolds was  quite  equal  to  the  occasion  and  proposed  to  get  congress  to 
grant  the  state  the  salt  reservations  to  be  sold  for  this  purpose.  The 
measure  carried  and  congress  made  the  grant,  and  the  penitentiary 
was  begun.  It  was  located  at  Alton.  The  first  commissioners  were 
ex-Governor  Bond,  Dr.  Gershom  Jayne,  and  William  P.  McKee.  By 
1831  a  few  cells  were  ready  for  occupancy. 

AN  INTERESTING  DOCTRINE 

It  remains  to  tell  of  a  very  interesting  doctrine  advanced  by  Gover- 
nor Edwards  and  later  endorsed  by  the  legislature,  relative  to  the 
ownership  of  the  public  lands  in  Illinois.  When  Governor  Edwards 
was  in  the  United  States  senate  a  bill  was  introduced  by  Senator  Lloyd 
of  Maryland,  proposing  to  give  to  each  of  the  old  states,  for  purposes 
of  education,  a  portion  of  the  public  lands  equal  to  the  amount  granted 
for  the  same  to  the  new  states.  Senator  Edwards  opposed  this  policy 
in  a  very  able  address  which  was  highly  praised  by  men  abundantly 
able  to  judge  of  the  merits  of  a  public  address.  Senator  Edwards  de- 
fended very  earnestly  and  logically  the  donations  by  the  general  gov- 
ernment of  lands  for  school  purposes  to  the  new  states  on  the  ground 
that  schools  and  schoolhouses  would  enhance  the  value  of  the  remain- 
ing lands,  and  thus  the  government  would  reap  the  benefit  in  the  early 
sale  of  the  remaining  lands  at  an  advanced  price.  He  showed  that 
this  in  no  sense  was  a  local  application  of  the  principle  of  free  dona- 
tions, but  that  gifts  to  the  older  states  out  of  the  lands  within  the  new 
states  could  in  no  sense  accrue  to  the  advantage  of  the  general  govern- 
ment, but  would  be  purely  local.  It  is  not  a  very  great  stretch  of  our 
imagination  to  see  how  this  doctrine  laid  down  by  Senator  Edwards, 
in  its  later  application,  enabled  the  government  to  make  those  magnifi- 
cent gifts  which  have  resulted  in  the  building  of  canals  and  railroads 
throughout  all  the  regions  from  the  Ohio  river  to  the  Pacific  ocean. 

But  the  matter  referred  to  above  was  a  doctrine  which  Governor 
Edwards  and  the  legislature  formulated  in  1829,  relative  to  the  real 
ownership  of  the  public  domain  in  the  new  states.  Governor  Edwards 
in  a  message  to  the  legislature  covering  thirty-nine  pages  in  the  printed 
journal  of  the  lower  house,  sustained  the  doctrine  that  the  lands  within 
the  limits  of  the  states  belonged  to  the  state.  He  quoted  the  Ordinance 
of  1787,  which  said  that  the  states  admitted  out  of  this  Northwest  terri- 
tory should  be  admitted  on  an  equal  footing  with  the  older  states.  The 
general  government  never  owned  a  foot  of  land  in  any  one  of  the  older 
states  except  what  it  bought  of  individuals.  If,  therefore,  Illinois  was 
admitted  into  the  Union  on  an  equal  footing  with  Virginia,  then  Illinois 
must  own  in  fee  simple  every  foot  of  land  in  the  state.  This  partly 
grew  out  of  the  fact  that  the  government  had  set  aside  nearly  one  hun- 
dred and  eighty  thousand  acres  of  mineral  lands  in  Illinois  which  it 
would  not  sell,  only  lease.  These  lessees  were  under  contract  with  the 
general  government,  subject  to  general  governmental  control  though 
residing  within  the  state  of  Illinois  yet  not  subject  to  the  laws  thereof. 

The  legislature  formulated  a  resolution  which  was  presented  to  con- 
gress, declaring  that  the  United  States  possesses  no  right  of  jurisdic- 
tion over  any  lands  within  the  limits  of  Illinois ;  that  the  United  States 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  169 

can  not  hold  any  right  of  soil  within  the  limits  of  the  state  but  for  the 
erection  of  forts,  arsenals,  docks,  etc. 

This  doctrine  was  not  without  support  in  congress  as  a  resolution 
introduced  in  1826  by  Senator  Tazewell  of  Virginia,  shows,  and  as  late 
as  1842  it  appears  a  measure  was  introduced  into  the  senate  by  Senator 
Calhoun  providing  for  ceding  to  the  states  all  remaining  unsold  lands 
within  the  several  states.  This  resolution  was  supported  by  seventeen 
votes  in  the  senate. 

SCHOOL  LEGISLATION 

But  all  the  legislation  during  these  years  was  far  from  being  wise. 
The  lack  of  foresight  on  the  part  of  the  statesmen  of  that  early  period 
has  been  a  subject  of  regret  in  these  later  years.  The  second  general 
assembly  during  Governor  Edwards'  term  of  office  attempted  to  legis- 
late in  favor  of  the  cause  of  education,  but  looking  at  it  from  the  year 
1912,  it  looks  as  if  its  efforts  were  a  miserable  failure. 

To  understand  this  it  will  be  necessary  for  us  to  go  back  to  the 
Ordinance  and  the  Enabling  Act.  The  former  said :  ' '  Religion,  moral- 
ity, and  knowledge  being  necessary  to  good  government  and  the  happi- 
ness of  mankind,  schools  and  the  means  of  education  shall  forever  be 
encouraged  (in  this  northwest  territory)."  The  Enabling  Act  provided 
that  section  numbered  16  in  each  township,  or  one  of  equal  value,  should 
be  granted  the  state  for  the  use  of  the  schools  of  that  township.  Again 
three  per  cent  of  the  net  proceeds  of  the  sale  of  public  lands  in  Illinois 
was  given  by  the  general  government  "for  the  encouragement  of  learn- 
ing of  which  one-sixth  part  shall  be  exclusively  bestowed  on  a  college 
or  university."  And  again — one  entire  township  was  set  aside  by  the 
general  government  for  a  seminary  of  learning  in  the  state.  The  first 
grant,  that  of  the  sixteenth  sections,  amounted  to  near  a  million  of 
acres,  while  the  township  grant  amounted  to  twenty-three  thousand 
and  forty  acres.  The  three  per  cent  gift  was  $613,362.96. 

The  first  legislation  looking  toward  the  care  of  this  munificent  gift 
was  in  1819.  In  that  year  the  first  state  legislature  passed  laws  which 
had  for  their  object  the  protection  of  the  sixteenth  section  by  making 
it  unlawful  to  take  timber  from  these  school  lands.  It  also  provided 
that  these  lands  might  be  leased  and  the  rents  put  into  improvements. 
Some  legislation  in  1821  provided  for  the  opening  of  schools  and  the 
establishing  of  other  educational  agencies. 

In  1825  Senator  Duncan  secured  the  passage  of  a  law  already  re- 
ferred to.  This  system  of  common  schools  planned  by  Senator  Duncan 
in  1825  was  very  much  like  the  one  we  have  today.  Taxes  were  to  be 
levied  and  collected  on  the  property  of  the  people  in  the  district.  There 
was  a  board  of  directors  who  were  to  have  control  of  the  school,  build- 
ings, examine  the  teachers,  and  have  general  oversight  of  the  whole 
subject. 

In  1826-7  the  legislature  provided  for  better  securities  from  those 
who  were  borrowing  the  money  for  which  the  school  lands  had  been 
sold.  But  in  1829,  the  legislature  repealed  the  part  of  the  Duncan 
law  of  1825  which  gave  two  per  cent  of  the  net  revenue  of  the  state  to 
the  schools.  Every  commendable  feature  of  the  Duncan  law  was  now 
repealed  and  the  schools  lay  prostrate  till  1855. 

The  legislature  of  1828-9  also  adopted  the  plan  of  selling  the  school 


170  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

and  seminary  lands.  The  law  provided  that  the  sixteenth  section  in 
each  township  might  be  sold  whenever  nine-tenths  of  the  inhabitants 
(evidently  voters)  were  in  favor  of  the  sale.  Later  the  law  allowed  the 
sale  if  three-fourths  were  in  favor  of  it. 

The  immigrants  coming  into  an  unsettled  township  were  always 
eager  to  dispose  of  the  sixteenth  section  as  it  made  a  fund  with  which 
the  authorities  might  assist  the  schools.  But  this  section  when  sold  for 
$1.25  per  acre,  the  regular  government  price,  would  bring  only  $800, 
and  this  at  ten  per  cent  interest  would  bring  only  $80  per  year.  This 
would  not  be  of  much  service  when  distributed  among  the  schools  of 
the  township. 

At  this  date,  1912,  much  of  this  land  is  worth  from  $100  to  $200 
per  acre.  The  argument  for  selling  the  lands  was  that  the  early  pioneers 
were  the  ones  who  ought  to  reap  most  of  the  benefit  of  the  government's 
liberality.  Six  hundred  and  forty  acres  at  $100  per  acre  would  make 
a  permanent  fund  of  $64,000,  which  put  at  interest  at  six  per  cent 
would  produce  an  annual  income  of  $3,840.  This  distributed  among 
nine  schools  would  give  to  each  school  in  the  township  $426.66. 

The  seminary  township  was  sold  in  1842  and  the  money  borrowed 
by  the  state.  The  state  also  borrowed  the  three  per  cent  of  the  public 
lands.  The  amount  borrowed  was  about  $500,000.  This  money  came 
to  the  state  treasury  in  quantities  of  $20,000  a  year.  For  twenty-five 
years  the  state  had  a  constant  income  of  $20,000  per  year.  When  it 
was  all  in,  the  debt  was  nearly  $500,000.  This  drew  interest  at  six  per 
cent,  the  annual  interest  being  $28,000.  Thus  we  received  $20,000  a 
year  for  twenty-five  years  for  the  privilege  of  paying  out  $28,000 
annually  for  all  time  to  come. 

THE  WINNEBAGO  WAR 

In  the  summer  of  1827  occurred  an  incident  which  is  usually  spoken 
of  lightly  by  historians.  It  was  known  at  the  time  as  the  Winnebago 
war  or  the  Winnebago  scare.  But  however  lightly  we  may  treat  the 
matter  now,  it  was  one  of  deep  concern  to  those  upon  the  borders  of 
civilization  around  Galena  in  1827.  The  story  may  be  briefly  told. 
The  Winnebago  Indians  occupied  the  lands  in  the  southwestern  part 
of  what  is  now  Wisconsin.  The  whites  in  their  search  for  lead  were 
continually  trespassing  upon  this  territory.  Though  the  Winnebagoes 
were  friendly  to  the  whites,  they  remonstrated  with  the  latter  without 
success.  Eventually  some  whites  were  killed.  The  killing  of  the  whites 
is  said  to  have  resulted  from  incorrect  information  coming  to  Red  Bird, 
the  Winnebago  chief,  as  to  the  death  of  four  of  his  warriors  by  Colonel 
Snelling,  commandant  at  Fort  Snelling.  Two  keel  boats  returning  from 
Fort  Snelling  were  attacked  on  the  Mississippi,  probably  about  the 
region  of  Bad  Axe  creek.  Two  boatmen  were  killed  and  others  wounded. 
The  Winnebagoes  sent  word  throughout  the  country  to  exterminate  the 
whites.  It  was  this  word  which  reached  northwestern  Illinois  about 
Galena  and  spread  consternation  far  and  wide.  It  is  said  three  thou- 
sand whites  fled  to  Galena,  a  flourishing  mining  town,  for  protection. 

Governor  Edwards  was  appealed  to  and  immediately  dispatched  a 
regiment  of  militia  from  Sangamon  and  Morgan  counties  under  com- 
mand of  Col.  T.  M.  Neale.  General  Atkinson,  of  the  United  States 
army,  with  six  hundred  regulars  appeared  upon  the  scene  and  quieted 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  171 

the  disturbance  without  any  bloodshed.  Several  prominent  Indians 
were  arrested  and  tried,  those  found  guilty  of  murder  were  executed, 
the  others  turned  loose.  Black  Hawk  was  among  those  liberated. 

Governor  Edwards  closed  his  term  as  chief  executive  of  Illinois 
amid  expressions  of  satisfaction  from  the  people.  He  turned  over  the 
office  to  his  successor  in  December,  1830,  and  retired  to  his  home  in 
Belleville  where  he  died  in  1833.  His  life  had  been  indeed  a  very 
active  one,  he  having  held  political  office  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century. 


CHAPTER  XVI 
EXPANSION 

KASKASKIA  AND  CAHOKIA — MILITARY  BOUNTY  LANDS — PEORIA  AND  GAL- 
ENA— RELIGIOUS  ORGANIZATIONS — PRESBYTERIANISM — MISSIONARIES — 
METHODISM — THE  BAPTISTS. 

In  the  settlement  of  a  new  country  as  was  the  case  in  Illinois,  the 
population  moves  first  toward  a  center  and  later  away  from  such  a  cen- 
ter. To  understand  this  matter  let  us  recall  some  centers  of  population 
in  Illinois  in  an  early  day. 

KASKASKIA  AND  CAHOKIA 

The  first  centers  to  which  our  minds  go  were  Kaskaskia  and  Cahokia. 
From  these  there  grew  up  in  the  American  Bottom  the  villages  of  New 
Chartres,  St.  Phillipe,  Prairie  du  Rocher,  and  Prairie  du  Pont.  St. 
Clair  county,  whose  lands  lie  partly  in  the  American  Bottom,  was  early 
settled,  and  the  wonderful  fertility  of  the  soil  was  at  that  time  as  well 
known  in  western  Europe  as  in  the  New  England  states.  When  Gen- 
eral Clark  came  to  Kaskaskia  in  1778,  he  had  with  him  something  like 
a  hundred  and  seventy-five  men.  Many  of  these  were  men  of  excellent 
character  and  of  clear  intellects.  They  were  with  Clark  at  Kaskaskia, 
Cahokia,  and  the  neighboring  regions  more  than  a  year.  In  that  time 
many  of  them  became  quite  well  acquainted  with  the  topography  of 
the  country.  When  the  war  was  over  and  they  returned  to  their  homes 
in  Kentucky,  the  Carolinas,  and  Virginia,  they  remembered  the  un- 
surpassed fertility  of  the  soil  in  the  American  Bottom,  and  the  grandeur 
and  beauty  of  the  Father  of  Waters.  And  the  understanding  that 
eventually  Virginia  was  to  give  to  each  soldier  a  grant  of  land  in  this 
western  country  in  payment  for  his  services,  induced  many  to  return 
to  St.  Clair  and  Madison  counties. 

When  the  settlements  began  to  spread  into  the  adjacent  regions  as 
early  as  1802,  settlers  from  Kaskaskia  had  already  gone  over  on  the 
Big  Muddy  river,  and  by  1807,  it  is  said  there  were  twenty-four  families 
in  that  immediate  vicinity. 

By  1814,  Conrad  Will,  a  very  noted  pioneer,  was  making  salt  on 
the  Big  Muddy  river  and  had  laid  out  the  town  of  Brownsville  at  the 
salt  works.  This  became  the  future  capital  of  Jackson  county  and  here 
was  chartered  a  branch  bank  as  early  as  1820. 

From  Kaskaskia  and  Cahokia  also  the  settlements  spread  into  what 
is  now  St.  Clair  and  Madison  counties.  Ephraim  O'Connor  settled 
Goshen  six  miles  southwest  of  Edwardsville  in  1800.  He  was  followed 

172 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  173 

by  Col.  Samuel  Judy  who  lived  in  the  Goshen  settlement  till  about 
1840.  This  locality  was  situated  on  Cahokia  creek  and  near  the  bluffs. 
It  was  a  widely  known  settlement.  By  1812  quite  a  number  of  families 
had  come  to  this  region  and  when  the  war  broke  out  Fort  Russell  was 
built  near  the  present  site  of  Edwardsville. 

The  Badgley  settlement  is  one  of  the  oldest  in  St.  Clair  county  out- 
side of  the  French  settlements.  It  was  settled  about  1810.  In  1815 
two  German  families  by  the  name  of  Markee  settled  in  Dutch  Hollow, 
a  canyon  in  the  bluffs  and  thus  laid  the  foundation  for  that  large  Ger- 
man population  which  St.  Clair  has  always  had.  Rock  Springs,  eight 
and  one-half  miles  northeast  of  Belleville,  was  settled  by  the  Rev.  John 
M.  Peck  in  1820.  It  was  at  a  spring  on  the  old  trail  from  Vincennes 
to  St.  Louis.  For  many  years  this  was  an  important  center  of  influence. 

SHAWNEETOWN,  MT.  VEENON  AND  VANDALIA 

Shawneetown,  the  place  of  debarkation  of  the  Ohio  river  travel, 
destined  for  Kaskaskia  or  St.  Louis,  was  a  center  from  which  radiated 
north  and  west  movements  of  population.  There  was  a  ferry  here  as 
early  as  1800  or  1802.  This  accommodated  the  Kentucky  people  who 
patronized  the  salt  works  at  Equality.  At  this  place  was  also  a  center 
of  population  from  which  people  went  into  adjacent  localities  to  settle. 

Mt.  Vernon,  in  Jefferson  county,  was  settled  by  Zadoc  Casey  in 
1817,  and  from  that  time  on  it  was  a  center  from  which  the  population 
spread.  It  was  on  one  of  the  trails  from  Kaskaskia  to  Vincennes  and 
a  great  many  people  passed  here  even  in  an  early  day.  One  road  from 
Fort  Massac  to  Kaskaskia  passed  through  Franklin  county;  and  Frank- 
fort, now  called  Old  Frankfort,  was  settled  at  a  very  early  date. 

Albion,  in  Edwards  county,  has  already  been  referred  to. 

Vandalia  was  laid  out  and  became  the  capital  in  1820.  It  was  far 
to  the  north  of  any  settlement  at  that  time  but  the  location  of  the 
capital  there  and  the  general  notion  that  this  would  eventually  be  an 
important  city  were  the  causes  of  its  rapid  growth.  Vandalia  soon  be- 
came an  important  center  around  which  settlements  grew  up  in  in- 
creasing circles. 

The  Sangamon  country  has  already  been  spoken  of  and  we  need 
not  speak  of  it  again  at  this  time.  Morgan  county  as  we  know  it  today 
was  a  portion  of  what,  in  a  very  early  day,  was  called  the  Sangamon 
country.  Diamond  Grove  Prairie  and  vicinity,  some  two  or  three  miles 
southwest  of  Jacksonville,  was  the  center  of  the  settlements  in  this 
county,  although  it  is  said  that  Elisha  and  Seymour  Kellogg  were  the 
first  white  settlers  in  the  limits  of  the  county,  and  they  settled  on  Mau- 
vaisterre  creek  in  1818.  In  1820  there  were  about  twenty-one  families 
in  the  county. 

MILITARY  BOUNTY  LANDS 

This  included  originally  all  the  lands  between  the  Illinois  and  Mis- 
sissippi rivers,  and  was  limited  north  and  south  by  latitudes  38  degrees 
54  minutes  and  41  degrees  20  minutes.  That  is,  on  the  south  by  the 
junction  of  the  rivers,  and  on  the  north  by  the  parallel  of  41  degrees  and 
20  minutes.  This  tract  was  set  aside  as  the  land  out  of  which  the  gov- 
ernment was  to  pay  the  soldiers  who  fought  in  the  War  of  1812.  A  very 


174  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

large  share  of  this  bounty  land  was  granted  to  soldiers  who  never  came 
to  settle  on  their  claims,  and  often  did  not  keep  the  taxes  paid  and  the 
lands  shortly  fell  to  the  state.  Many  sold  their  certificates  to  specula- 
ors  and  thus  large  quantities  of  the  land  were  held  by  companies.  How- 
ever, as  early  as  1817,  a  Frenchman  by  the  name  of  Tebo  settled  on  the 
Illinois  river  on  the  west  side  about  where  the  Griggsville  landing  is.  In 
1820  several  located  in  what  is  now  Atlas  township.  In  1821  the  county 
was  organized  with  perhaps  fewer  than  one  hundred  white  people  in 
the  territory.  In  the  vote  on  slavery  in  1824  Pike  county  cast  one  hun- 
dren  and  eighty-four  votes  which  indicates  a  population  of  probably 
eight  hundred  or  more.  Prior  to  this  vote  the  county  of  Fulton  had 
been  cut  off  from  Pike.  Fulton  cast  sixty-five  votes  in  1824,  showing  a 
population  of  three  hundred  souls. 

PEOEIA  AND  GALENA 

Another  center  from  which  radiated  a  great  many  settlements  was 
Peoria.  This  point  was  first  occupied  by  Indians.  When  La  Salle  came 
down  the  Illinois  the  first  time  in  the  winter  of  1679-80,  he  found  here  a 
very  large  encampment.  Here  he  built  Fort  Crevecoeur.  Probably 
there  were  whites  here  at  different  times  from  that  date  till  the  date 
usually  given  as  that  of  the  permanent  settlements,  but  they  were  traders, 
trappers,  hunters,  and  voyagers.  The  first  permanent  house  was 
built  about  the  year  1778.  The  place  was  called  La  Ville  de  Maillet,  and 
was  afterwards  changed  to  Peoria.  The  village  occupied  by  the  French 
was  burned  in  1812  by  Captain  Craig,  and  the  French  inhabitants 
brought  to  a  point  below  Alton  and  landed  in  the  woods — men,  women, 
and  children,  without  food  or  shelter.  United  States  troops  occupied 
the  place  in  1813  and  built  a  block  house  and  called  it  Fort  Clark.  This 
now  became  a  nucleus  around  which  settlements  began  to  cluster. 

In  1819  Abner  Eads,  Josiah  Fulton,  Seth  Fulton,  Samuel  Dougherty, 
Thomas  Russell,  Joseph  Hersey,  and  John  Davis  arrived  at  Fort  Clark 
from  the  vicinity  of  St.  Louis.  Mr.  Eads  soon  brought  his  family,  and 
the  other  pioneers  boarded  with  Mr.  Eads.  The  first  store  was  erected 
by  John  Hamlin,  who  was  agent  for  the  American  Fur  Company.  As 
late  as  1832  there  were  only  twenty-two  buildings  in  the  town. 

By  reason  of  the  location  of  Fort  Clark  at  Peoria  and  the  presence 
of  United  States  troops,  there  was  security  of  life  and  property  in  this 
military  tract.  Adams  county  was  settled  as  early  as  1820.  John  Wood, 
who  afterwards  became  governor,  and  Willard  Keys  settled  in  what  is 
now  Adams  county,  in  that  year.  In  1822  Wood  commenced  laying  off 
the  city  of  Quincy.  Adams  county  was  organized  in  1824.  Quincy  was 
made  the  county  seat ;  four  men  and  two  women  constituted  the  entire 
adult  population. 

Lead  was  discovered  in  Jo  Daviess  county  as  early  as  1700.  Article 
III.  of  the  grant  by  Louis,  King  of  France,  to  M.  Crozat  in  1712,  Sep- 
tember 24,  is  as  follows: 

We  permit  him  to  search  for,  open  and  dig  all  sorts  of  mines,  veins 
and  minerals  throughout  the  whole  extent  of  the  said  Louisiana,  and  to 
transport  the  profits  thereof  into  any  part  of  France  during  the  said 
fifteen  years ;  and  we  grant  in  perpetuity  to  him,  his  heirs,  and  others 
claiming  under  him  or  them  the  property  of,  in  and  to  the  mines,  veins 
and  minerals,  which  he  shall  bring  to  bear,  paying  us,  in  lieu  of  all  claim 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  175 

the  fifth  part  of  the  gold  and  silver,  which  the  said  Sieur  Crozat  shall 
cause  to  be  transported  to  France  .  .  .  and  the  tenth  part  of  what 
effects  he  shall  draw  from  the  other  mines,  veins,  and  minerals,  which 
tenth  he  shall  transfer  and  convey  to  our  magazine  in  the  said  country 
of  Louisiana. 

This  shows  that  the  notion  was  abroad  that  this  Louisiana  country 
was  rich  in  minerals.  Crozat  brought  with  him  "the  necessary  miners 
and  mining  tools,  some  slaves  from  the  West  India  islands  and  other  la- 
borers and  artisans  and  pursued  more  or  less  diligently  his  explorations 
for  the  precious  metals."  His  search  for  minerals  and  metals  was  a 
failure,  and  in  1717  he  surrendered  his  grant  to  the  king.  The  whole 
territory  was  then  re-granted,  this  time  to  the  Company  of  the  West. 
This  company  made  Phillip  Renault  director  general  of  mines.  He  left 
for  America  with  two  hundred  mechanics,  laborers,  and  assayers.  On 
his  way  he  purchased  five  hundred  negro  slaves  for  working  the  mines. 
It  was  the  current  belief  in  Prance  at  this  time  that  the  Mississippi  re- 
gion was  a  vast,  rich,  but  undeveloped  mine  of  all  the  useful  and  pre- 
cious metals.  There  can  be  little  doubt  that  the  explorers  connected 
with  Phillip  Renault's  expedition  knew  that  lead  was  to  be  had  on  the 
upper  parts  of  the  Mississippi  river.  Possibly  the  lead  mines  of  Jo 
Daviess  county  were  worked  by  this  company. 

The  first  white  settler  in  the  region  of  the  lead  mines  of  Jo  Daviess 
was  a  man  named  Bouthillier,  who  settled  about  where  Galena  is,  in 
1820.  About  this  time  John  Shull  and  Dr.  A.  C.  Muer  established  a 
trading  post.  A.  P.  Van  Meter  and  one  Fredericks  came  in  1821.  The 
government  sent  Lieutenant  Thomas  to  have  charge  of  the  mines,  and  in 
1823  one  James  Johnson  arrived  from  Kentucky  with  sixty  negro  slaves 
to  work  in  the  mines.  By  1826  the  locality  had  one  hundred  and  fifty 
inhabitants,  and  from  this  time  forward  the  growth  was  very  rapid. 

We  thus  see  that  as  early  as  1825  and  not  later  than  1830  there  were 
as  many  as  fifteen  or  twenty  centers  from  which  there  were  spreading 
settlements  in  nearly  all  directions.  With  the  spread  of  settlements 
came  the  opening  of  roads,  the  erection  of  grist  and  sawmills,  the  build- 
ing of  blockhouses,  courthouses,  and  jails. 

RELIGIOUS  ORGANIZATIONS 

As  has  been  previously  stated,  the  Catholic  religion  was  the  pre- 
vailing belief  from  the  earliest  settlement  of  the  French  in  the  Ameri- 
can Bottom  to  the  coming  of  Gen.  George  Rogers  Clark.  This  faith  did 
not  spread  into  the  interior  of  the  state  in  the  earlier  days.  In  fact  the 
members  of  this  faith  decreased  following  the  occupation  of  Illinois  by 
the  British  in  1765.  Large  members  of  the  French  Catholics  left  Illi- 
nois upon  the  coming  of  the  British.  French  immigration  ceased  and 
nearly  if  not  quite  all  of  the  early  immigrants  were  Protestants. 

The  expansion  was  not  only  in  the  matter  of  making  new  settlements 
but  along  with  this  went  a  steady  growth  in  all  the  lines  of  the  life  of  a 
pioneer  people.  Churches  were  organized  everywhere.  Houses  of  wor- 
ship were  not  always  built  where  congregations  were  organized,  but 
services  were  held  more  or  less  regularly. 


176  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

PRESBYTERIANISM 

As  early  as  1820,  April  20,  a  Presbyterian  church  was  organized  at 
Turkey  Hill,  a  settlement  four  miles  southeast  of  Belleville.  This  was 
said  to  be  one  of  the  oldest  American  settlements  in  St.  Clair  county. 
As  early  as  1798  William  Scott,  Samuel  Shook,  and  Franklin  Jarvis, 
settled  this  locality.  The  Kaskaskia  Presbyterian  church  was  organized 
May  27,  1821,  with  nine  members.  The  organization  was  later  moved  to 
Chester.  While  in  Kaskaskia  it  was  a  very  flourishing  organization  and 
contained  some  of  the  best  people  in  the  locality.  The  leading  spirit  in 
that  church  seems  to  have  been  the  Rev.  John  M.  Ellis.  He  was  conse- 
crated to  the  cause  of  missions  and  education.  In  1828  he  wrote  from 
Jacksonville,  Illinois:  "A  seminary  of  learning  is  projected  to  go  into 
operation  next  fall.  The  subscription  now  stands  $2,000  or  $3,000.  The 
site  is  in  this  county."  A  half  section  of  land  was  purchased  one-half 
mile  north  of  Diamond  Grove,  which  was  probably  intended  to  serve  as 
a  source  of  support  for  worthy  students.  This  movement  later  attracted 
the  attention  of  seven  young  men  in  Yale  University,  and  resulted  in 
the  raising  of  $10,000,  in  the  east  and  the  coming  of  Theron  Baldwin 
and  Julien  M.  Sturtevant,  and  the  founding  of  the  Illinois  College. 

The  Rev.  John  Mathews,  a  Presbyterian  preacher,  arrived  in  Illinois 
as  early  as  1817.  He  organized  a  church  in  Pike  county  soon  thereafter, 
with  eighteen  members.  He  was  known  all  over  Illinois  and  Missouri 
and  lived  to  the  ripe  age  of  eighty-four  years.  He  was  an  active 
preacher  for  fifty  years. 

The  Presbyterians  under  the  leadership  of  the  Rev.  David  Choate 
Proctor,  organized  what  was  known  as  the  Wabash  church,  in  Edwards 
county.  Thomas  Gould  and  family  came  to  the  "Timbered  Settle- 
ments," which  was  in  the  northeast  quarter  of  what  is  now  Wabash 
county,  ten  miles  from  Mt.  Carmel,  in  1816.  He  was  followed  by  Cyrus 
Danforth,  Stephen  Bliss,  and  George  May.  The  first  Sunday-school  in 
Illinois  was  held  in  the  home  of  May  and  Bliss  April  11,  1819. 

In  Greene  county,  as  early  as  April  30,  1823,  a  Presbyterian  church 
with  twenty-one  members,  was  organized  in  the  court  house  in  Carroll- 
ton  by  the  Revs.  Oren  Catlin  and  Daniel  G.  Sprague.  Several  of  these 
members  lived  north  of  Apple  creek  some  five  miles,  so  that  eventually 
another  church  was  organized  in  White  Hall.  The  Carrollton  church 
worshiped  in  the  court  house  or  in  a  blacksmith  shop,  and  frequently 
with  members  in  their  own  homes.  Paris,  Edgar  county,  had  a  church 
as  early  as  November  6,  1824.  The  membership  numbered  twelve.  The 
Rev.  Isaac  Reed,  a  Presbyterian  minister  from  Crawfordsville,  Indiana, 
preached.  Methodist  preachers  had  visited  the  settlement  and  had 
preached,  but  had  not  tried  to  organize  a  church. 

The  Rev.  Elbridge  Gerry  Howe  travelled  over  the  state  in  1824  and 
1830  and  preached  as  he  travelled.  The  Rev.  J.  M.  Peck  says  he  saw  him 
in  1825  and  that  he  was  a  green  Yankee,  and  that  his  wife  was  the 
smarter  of  the  two.  He  contracted  to  minister  to  all  the  Presbyterian 
churches  in  Greene,  Morgan,  and  Sangamon  for  $300  a  year.  He  could 
not  collect  his  money,  and  in  a  short  time  was  in  destitute  circumstances 
in  Springfield,  where  the  women  of  the  town  ministered  to  his  wife's 
necessities. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  177 

MISSIONARIES 

Shawneetown,  one  of  the  oldest  towns  anywhere  on  the  east  side  of 
the  state,  was  very  early  visited  by  missionaries  and  travelling  preachers. 
It  was  the  point  where  the  overland  journey  began  on  the  way  from  the 
Upper  Ohio  to  Kaskaskia  or  to  St.  Louis. 

Or  if  the  travellers  came  overland  from  Kentucky  or  the  Carolinas, 
they  crossed  the  Ohio  at  either  Golconda  or  Shawneetown  as  the  only 
ferries  that  crossed  the  river  were  at  those  two  points.  This  town  was 
begun  in  1800  as  nearly  as  can  be  ascertained.  The  cabins  were  of  a 
very  inferior  grade.  The  land  had  not  been  surveyed  and  the  settlers 
"squatted"  wherever  their  choice  of  a  building  site  led  them.  The 
houses  were  probably  of  the  character  built  by  the  Indians  and  early 
French — walls  of  sticks,  grasses,  and  mud,  while  the  roof  was  thatched 
with  the  swamp  grasses  which  grew  in  abundance  near.  In  1812-13  the 
government  surveyed  the  town  and  there  was  quite  an  adjustment  of 
claims  to  lots.  Tradition  says  they  burned  their  old  log  school  house  for 
a  bonfire  when  they  heard  the  news  that  Jackson  had  whipped  the  Brit- 
ish at  New  Orleans.  It  is  very  certain  that  after  the  survey  by  the  gov- 
ernment they  erected  better  houses.  But  the  newer  ones  were  not  very 
substantial  homes.  A  Mr.  Low  was  in  Shawneetown  in  January,  1818, 
and  of  the  moral  and  religious  aspect  he  writes:  "Among  its  two  or 
three  hundred  inhabitants  there  is  not  a  single  soul  that  made  any  pre- 
tentious to  religion.  Their  shocking  profaneness  was  enough  to  make 
one  afraid  to  walk  the  street;  and  those  who  on  the  Sabbath  were  not 
fighting  and  drinking  at  the  taverns  and  grog-shops  were  either  hunting 
in  the  woods  or  trading  behind  their  counters.  A  small  audience  gath- 
ered to  hear  the  missionary  preach.  But  even  a  laborer  who  could  de- 
vote his  whole  time  to  the  field  might  almost  as  soon  expect  to  hear  the 
stones  cry  out  as  to  expect  a  revolution  in  the  morals  of  the  place. ' '  Mr. 
Thomas  Lippincott,  who  was  for  some  time  editor  of  the  Edwardsville 
Spectator,  and  who  later  was  one  of  the  trustees  of  Illinois  College, 
passed  through  Shawneetown  with  his  wife  in  1818,  and  says  of  it: 
' '  We  found  a  village  not  very  prepossessing ;  the  houses,  with  one  excep- 
tion, being  set  up  on  posts  several  feet  from  the  earth.  The  periodical 
overflow  of  the  river  accounts  for  this." 

Mrs.  John  Tillson  passed  through  Shawneetown  in  November,  1822, 
and  was  very  observing,  as  the  following  shows : 

Our  hotel,  the  only  brick  house  in  the  place  (evidently  the  Rawlings 
House,)  made  quite  a  commanding  appearance  from  the  river,  towering, 
as  it  did,  among  the  twenty — more  or  less — log  cabins  and  the  three  or 
four  box-looking  frames.  One  or  two  of  these  were  occupied  as  stores; 
one  was  a  doctor's  office;  a  lawyer's  shingle  graced  the  corner  of  one; 
cakes  and  beer  another.  The  hotel  lost  its  significance,  however,  on 
entering  its  doors.  The  finish  was  of  the  cheapest  kind,  the  plastering 
hanging  loose  from  the  walls,  the  floors  carpetless,  except  with  nature's 
carpeting — with  that  they  were  richly  carpeted.  The  landlord  was  a 
whiskey  keg  in  the  morning  and  a  keg  of  whiskey  at  night ;  stupid  and 
gruff  in  the  morning,  by  noon  could  talk  politics  and  abuse  Yankees,  and 
by  sundown  was  brave  for  a  fight.  His  wife  kept  herself  in  the  kitchen ; 
his  daughters,  one  married,  and  two  single,  performed  the  agreeable  to 
strangers;  the  son-in-law  putting  on  the  airs  of  a  gentleman,  presided 
at  the  table,  carving  the  pork,  dishing  out  the  cabbage,  and  talking  big 

vol.  I— 1  •> 


178  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

about  his  political  friends.  His  wife,  being  his  wife,  he  seemed  to  re- 
gard a  notch  above  the  other  branches  of  the  family,  and  had  her  at  his 
right  hand  at  the  table  where  she  sat  with  her  long  curls,  and  with  the 
baby  in  her  lap.  Baby  always  seems  to  be  hungry  while  mammy  was 
eating  her  dinner,  and  so  little  honey  took  dinner  at  the  same  time. 
Baby  didn't  have  any  table-cloth — new  manners  to  me. 

The  first  organized  church  began  its  work  December,  1823,  it  is  said, 
with  six  women  as  the  congregation.  They  first  met  in  the  Seabolt  prop- 
erty— the  site  of  the  Riverside  Hotel. 

Jacksonville  was  laid  off  in  1825.  In  1827  the  Rev.  John  Brich  or- 
ganized a  Presbyterian  church.  The  place  of  meeting  was  in  a  barn 
belonging  to  Judge  John  Leeper,  a  mile  southeast  of  town.  The  Rev. 
John  M.  Ellis  was  settled  as  pastor  in  1828.  This  church  is  said  to  have 
been  a  great  center  from  which  radiated  far  reaching  influences  in  the 
spread  of  the  gospel. 

The  same  Rev.  John  M.  Ellis  organized  a  Presbyterian  church  in 
Springfield  in  1828.  The  settled  pastor  was  the  Rev.  John  G.  Bergen, 
formerly  of  New  Jersey.  This  congregation  built  the  first  brick  church 
home  in  the  state  in  1829-30.  It  was  dedicated  in  November,  1830.  The 
pastor  organized  the  first  temperance  society  in  the  state  in  Springfield. 
The  Rev.  Mr.  Ellis  organized  a  church  in  Hillsboro  in  1828,  with  two 
members,  John  Tillson,  Jr.,  and  Mrs.  Margaret  Seward. 

In  1828,  the  Rev.  Solomon  Hardy  organized  a  church  in  Vandalia, 
of  eight  members.  This  church  built  a  modest  building  and  placed 
therein  a  bell,  the  gift  of  Romulus  Riggs,  of  Philadelphia.  The  Illinois 
Monthly  Magazine  of  December  30,  1830,  says :  ' '  The  bell  was  hung 
November  5,  1830,  .  .  .  it  is  the  first  public  bell  introduced  into 
the  state  by  American  inhabitants."  Several  years  ago  the  bell  was 
given  to  the  Brownstown  chuch,  eight  miles  east  of  Vandalia. 

Within  the  limits  of  Illinois  there  had  been  organized,  up  to  1830, 
twenty-eight  Presbyterian  churches.  There  were  also  at  that  date  six- 
teen Presbyterian  ministers  located  in  the  state. 

METHODISM 

Methodism  made  its  advent  into  Illinois  at  a  very  early  date.  We 
have  in  a  previous  chapter  called  attention  to  the  work  of  a  number  of 
early  preachers  of  that  faith. 

The  regular  work  of  this  church  did  not  begin  until  the  beginning  of 
the  past  century.  This  religious  body  has  a  somewhat  different  plan  of 
work  from  the  Presbyterian  church  and  for  that  reason  we  cannot  fix 
dates  so  easily  as  in  a  study  of  the  latter.  The  class  leader  in  the  earlier 
Methodist  organization  supplied  the  lack  of  a  regular  pastor. 

The  Reverend  Beauchamp,  a  much  loved  minister  in  the  Methodist 
church,  was  located  in  Chillicothe,  Ohio,  in  1816.  He  was  induced  by 
the  people  of  Mt.  Carmel  to  come  to  their  town,  to  which  he  removed  in 
1817.  He  labored  here  faithfully  for  about  four  years  when  he  was 
obliged  to  give  up  his  preaching  and  retire  to  a  farm.  While  in  the 
active  work  of  preaching  in  Mt.  Carmel  he  announced  the  services  by 
the  blowing  of  a  trumpet  instead  of  by  the  ringing  of  a  bell. 

The  work  of  the  Rev.  Jesse  Walker  of  the  Methodist  church  has  been 
noted  in  a  previous  chapter.  He  came  to  Illinois  in  1806  and  organized 
churches  in  various  places.  In  1807  he  organized  a  church  on  the  Illi- 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  179 

nois  river  of  some  sixty  members — all  the  people  in  the  settlement.    He 
died  in  Chicago  in  1834. 

Where  two  or  three  families  could  be  found  who  were  of  the  Metho- 
dist persuasion,  a  class  leader  would  conduct  the  public  devotional  serv- 
ice. From  this  fact  a  church  may  be  spoken  of  when  there  had  been  no 
regularly  organized  church  machinery  set  in  motion. 

As  early  as  1817,  Zadoc  Casey  emigrated  from  Sumner  county,  Ten- 
nessee, and  settled  on  a  farm  near  the  present  city  of  Mt.  Vernon,  Jef- 
ferson county.  He  founded  the  town  of  Mt.  Vernon  in  1818  or  1819.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church  and  was  an  active  worker  in  that 
organization.  He  was  a  local  preacher  in  Jefferson  county  for  forty 
years,  and  was  a  man  of  widespread  influence. 

• 

THE  BAPTISTS 

This  church  had  many  earnest  preachers  in  Illinois  in  the  early  years 
of  the  nineteenth  century.  Among  them  was  one  Rev.  John  Clark.  He 
had  for  two  years  been  connected  with  the  Methodists  but  becoming  dis- 
satisfied with  some  of  the  methods  of  that  body  he  withdrew  his  mem- 
bership from  that  organization.  He  came  to  the  settlements  on  the 
American  Bottom  in  1797  and  from  that  date  till  1833,  when  he  died,  he 
was  a  tireless  worker  in  the  church.  He  taught  school  and  was  gen- 
erally called  Father  Clark.  He  was  the  first  Protestant  preacher  to 
cross  the  Mississippi  into  the  Spanish  territory.  This  he  did  in  1798. 
He  eventually  took  up  his  residence  in  Missouri,  but  carried  on  his  work 
in  Illinois  with  great  success. 

Elder  William  Jones  came  to  Rattan's  Prairie,  near  Alton,  in  1806. 
He  was  very  active  in  building  local  Baptist  churches  in  the  vicinity  of 
Alton,  till  his  death  in  1845. 

Another  early  Baptist  preacher  was  Rev.  James  Lemen.  He  was 
indebted  to  Father  Clark  for  both  his  education  and  his  religious  fervor. 
He  was  a  staunch  opponent  of  slavery  and  was  bold  enough  to  express 
his  opposition  in  the  pulpit,  which  gave  offense  to  some. 

By  1807  there  was  a  Baptist  Association  in  the  region  around  Alton 
and  Edwardsville.  It  included  five  well  organized  churches:  New  De- 
sign, four  miles  south  of  Waterloo ;  Mississippi  Bottom ;  Richland,  in  St. 
Clair  county;  Wood  River,  in  Madison  county;  and  Silver  Creek,  in 
Bond  or  St.  Clair.  There  were  three  ordained  preachers  for  these  five 
churches,  and  sixty-two  members.  In  1809  six  more  preachers  were  or- 
dained and  there  was  a  proportionate  growth  in  membership. 


CHAPTER  XVII 
AN  IMPORTANT   STATE   PERIOD 

How  GOVERNOR  REYNOLDS  WAS  ELECTED — THE  INAUGURAL  ADDRESS — 
DEEP  SNOW  OF  1830-1 — THE  BLACK  HAWK  WAR — CALL  TO  ARMS — 
THE  END — SECOND  HALF  OF  ADMINISTRATION. 

The  fourth  governor  of  Illinois  was  John  Reynolds.  He  was  an 
early  emigrant  to  Illinois.  He  was  born  in  Montgomery  county, 
Pennsylvania,  in  1788.  His  parents  moved  to  eastern  Tennessee  when 
the  boy  was  but  six  months  old.  From  Tennessee  the  family  came 
to  Illinois  in  1800,  the  boy  being  twelve  years  old.  They  crossed 
the  Ohio  at  Lusk's  Ferry,  the  present  site  of  Golconda,  and  took  the 
trail  for  Kaskaskia.  They  constructed  rafts  and  ferried  their  wagons 
and  teams  across  the  rivers.  They  reached  Kaskaskia  and  found 
the  village  surrounded  with  Kaskaskia  Indians,  who  were  living 
very  much  as  they  had  always  lived.  The  elder  Reynolds  had  started 
for  St.  Louis,  but  was  dissuaded  by  Robert  Morrison,  John  Rice 
Jones,  and  Pierre  Menard.  The  father  later  visited  "St.  Genevieve 
to  obtain  a  permit  of  the  Spanish  commandant  to  settle  on  the  west 
side  of  the  river.  In  the  permit  to  settle  in  the  Domain  of  Spain  it 
was  required  that  my  father  should  raise  his  children  in  the  Roman 
Catholic  church.  This  pledge  was  a  requisition  of  the  government 
in  all  cases,  and  my  father  refused  to  agree  to  it.  ...  This  was 
the  main  reason  that  decided  our  destiny  to  settle  and  reside  in  Illi- 
nois. ' ' 

Young  Reynolds  received  a  rudimentary  education  in  the  schools 
available  in  that  day,  and  when  a  young  man,  attended  college  in 
Knoxville,  Tennessee.  He  was  living  at  Cahokia  when  the  state  was 
admitted  into  the  Union  in  1818.  He  served  on  the  supreme  court 
and  in  the  lower  branch  of  the  state  legislature.  In  1830  he  offered 
himself  as  a  candidate  for  governor.  He  was  elected  over  his  op- 
ponent Lieutenant  Governor  Kinney,  who  had  served  with  Governor 
Edwards. 

How  GOVERNOR  REYNOLDS  WAS  ELECTED 

The  campaign  was  without  doubt  a  spicy  one.  Governor  Rey- 
nolds has  given  us  an  unvarnished  account  which  no  doubt  is  a  cor- 
rect story  of  the  canvass.  "It  was  the  universal  custom  of  the  times 
to  treat  with  liquor.  We  both  did  it ;  but  he  was  condemned  for  it 
more  than  myself,  by  the  religious  community,  he  being  a  preacher 
of  the  gospel."  Each  candidate  rode  over  the  state  carrying  the  old 

180 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  181 

fashioned  saddle  bags.  Many  amusing  incidents  occurred.  At  Jack- 
sonville Captain  Duncan  had  a  saddle  bag  full  of  Kinney  hand-bills. 
At  night  some  Reynolds  men  stole  all  the  Kinney  bills  and  replaced 
them  with  Reynolds  bills.  The  next  day  Captain  Duncan  went  about 
scattering  Reynolds'  bills  and  arguing  for  Kinney.  The  Rev.  Zadoc 
Casey  of  Mt.  Vernon  was  the  candidate  on  the  Kinney  ticket  for  lieu- 
tenant governor  and  a  Mr.  Rigdon  B.  Slocumb  was  the  running  mate 
of  Mr.  Reynolds.  Reynolds  and  Casey  were  elected. 

Of  Mr.  Reynolds,  Mr.  Ford  says  he  had  a  good,  natural,  easy- 
going disposition  and  was  a  good  mixer.  "He  had  received  a  class- 
ical education  and  was  a  man  of  good  talents  in  his  own  peculiar 
way;  but  no  one  would  suppose  from  hearing  his  conversation  and 
public  addresses  that  he  had  ever  learned  more  than  to  read  and 
write  and  cipher  to  the  rule  of  three."  He  is  represented  as  being 
coarse  and  even  vulgar  in  the  use  of  all  sorts  of  backwoods  expres- 
sions of  which  he  seems  to  have  had  a  very  large  supply.  "He  had 
a  kind  heart  and  was  always  ready  to  do  a  favor  and  never  harbored 
resentment  against  a  human  being." 

In  this  canvass  the  newspapers  took  quite  an  active  part.  Mr. 
Kinney  had  the  support  of  the  Illinois  Intelligencer,  published  at  Van- 
dalia.  It  was  edited  by  Judge  James  Hall,  formerly  of  Shawneetown. 
Governor  Reynolds  had  four  papers  supporting  him,  ,all  of  which 
were  very  ably  edited — one  at  Shawneetown,  edited  by  Colonel  Ed- 
dy, one  at  Edwardsville,  edited  by  Judge  Smith,  one  at  Kaskaskia, 
edited  by  Judge  Breese,  and  one  at  Springfield,  edited  by  Forquer 
and  Ford.  Mr.  Reynolds  says  that  a  miner's  journal  published  at 
Galena  also  supported  him. 

In  this  canvass  national  politics  entered  as  a  very  potent  factor. 
It  was  folly  for  any  man  who  was  an  anti-Jackson  man  to  offer  him- 
self for  public  office.  There  were  anti-Jackson  men  but  they  were 
greatly  in  the  minority.  Reynolds  calls  them  the  Whigs.  Both  Rey- 
nolds and  Kinney  were  Jackson  men,  but  the  anti-Jackson  men  fav- 
ored Reynolds  as  the  lesser  of  two  evils.  It  thus  turned  out  that  Rey- 
nolds was  elected,  the  vote  standing,  Reynolds  12,937,  while  Kinney 
received  9,038. 

The  candidates  for  lieutenant  governor  were  Zadoc  Casey  and 
Rigdon  B.  Slocumb.  Mr.  Casey  ran  on  the  Kinney  ticket  and  Mr. 
Slocumb  on  the  Reynolds  ticket.  Mr.  Casey  was  a  Methodist  local 
preacher  who  lived  at  Mt.  Vernon  and  was  a  man  who  stood  very 
high  in  the  localities  where  he  was  known.  He  was  elected. 

THE  INAUGURAL  MESSAGE 

At  this  election  the  seventh  general  assembly  was  also  elected. 
The  legislature  met  December  6,  1830,  and  organized.  The  new  gov- 
ernor began  his  term  under  very  favorable  circumstances.  Some 
writers  have  spoken  disparagingly  of  Governor  Reynolds'  inaugural 
message,  but  when  carefully  studied  it  appears  a  plain,  sensible,  pat- 
riotic state  paper.  It  may  lack  the  polish  of  former  or  later  mes- 
sages, but  what  Governor  Reynolds  had  in  his  heart  to  say,  he  said 
in  unmistakable  language.  He  called  attention  to  the  rapid  increase 
in  population.  He  complimented  the  immigrants  upon  their  enter- 
prise and  good  judgment,  and  congratulated  the  people  of  the  state 


182  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

upon  the  accession  to  its  population  of  so  desirable  a  class  of  citizens, 
lie  formally  discussed  the  following  subjects  as  being  those  upon 
which  he  hoped  they  might  legislate. 

"In  the  whole  circle  of  your  legislation,  there  is  no  subject  that 
has  a  greater  claim  upon  your  attention  or  calls  louder  for  your  aid 
than  that  of  education." 

"There  cannot  be  an  appropriation  of  money  within  the  exercise 
of  your  legislative  powers  that  will  be  more  richly  paid  to  the  citi- 
zens than  that  for  the  improvement  of  the  country." 

Governor  Reynolds  had,  while  a  member  of  the  fifth  general  as- 
sembly, succeeded  in  getting  a  bill  through  providing  for  the  build- 
ing of  a  penitentiary.  He  was  able  to  say  the  work  had  progressed 
quite  satisfactorily  and  that  twenty-five  cells  were  nearing  com- 
pletion, and  he  hoped  the  legislature  would  take  such  action  as  would 
carry  the  enterprise  to  completion. 

The  salines  and  their  reservations  had  been  virtually  given  to 
the  state  by  the  action  of  congress  in  passing  the  Enabling  Act.  The 
state  had  had  charge  of  the  salines  since  1818  and  very  little  in- 
come had  been  realized  from  them.  He  was  very  desirous  that  they 
should  be  so  managed  as  to  result  in  a  source  of  income  to  the  state. 

The  charter  incorporating  the  State  Bank  of  Illinois  was  passed 
in  1821.  The  charter  was  to  continue  ten  years.  The  capital  was 
$500,000.  There  was  one  parent  bank  at  Vandalia  and  four  branch 
banks — one  at  Edwardsville,  one  at  Brownsville,  one  at  Shawnee- 
town,  one  at  Albion.  The  charter  of  this  bank  expired  January  1, 
1831.  The  end  of  the  bank  came  therefore  in  Reynold's  term  as  gov- 
ernor. The  state  had  lost  about  $100,000  in  this  banking  business, 
and  must  in  some  way  meet  this  indebtedness. 

Finally,  a  loan  was  obtained  of  a  Mr.  Wiggins,  of  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  of  $100,000  and  the  affairs  of  the  bank  wound  up.  This  was 
known  as  "the  Wiggins  loan"  and  was  for  many  years  a  great  tor- 
ment to  the  legislators  who  authorized  it. 

At  the  close  of  the  session  of  1831,  the  state  borrowed  $20.000 
with  which  to  pay  the  current  expenses  of  the  session,  and  to  meet 
other  expenses  of  the  state. 

DEEP  SNOW  OF  1830-1 

The  winter  of  1830-1  was  long  remembered  as  "the  winter  of  the 
deep  snow."  It  is  said  that  the  winter  was  a  mild  one  till  Christmas. 
During  the  Christmas  holidays  a  snow  storm  began  and  for  nine 
weeks,  almost  every  day,  it  snowed.  The  snow  melted  little  or  none 
and  was  found  to  be  more  than  three  feet  on  an  average.  It  was. 
however,  drifted  very  badly  in  some  places.  The  old  fashioned 
"stake  and  rider"  fences  were  buried  in  many  places  with  the  drifted 
snow.  The  long  country  lanes  were  covered  over  so  that  no  sign  of 
the  road  was  left.  On  top  of  this  snow  fell  rain  and  sleet  and  formed 
such  a  crust  that  people  and  stock  might  walk  on  top  of  the  snow. 
The  birds  and  small  pa  me  suffered  very  much  for  want  of  food,  while 
larger  wild  game  became  very  tame. 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  183 

THE  BLACK  HAWK  WAR 

In  1804,  November  3,  at  St.  Louis,  William  Henry  Harrison,  at 
that  time  governor  of  the  Indiana  territory,  on  behalf  of  the  United 
States,  signed  a  treaty  with  the  Sac  and  Fox  Indians  by  which  the 
said  tribes  ceded  to  the  United  States  about  fifteen  million  acres  of 
land.  A  portion  of  the  land  lay  in  Illinois  northwest  of  the  Illinois 
river,  while  a  large  portion  lay  in  southwestern  Wisconsin.  The 
United  States  government  agreed  to  take  the  Sac  and  Fox  tribes 
into  its  friendship  and  protection,  and  to  pay  annually  $1,000  in  goods 
to  the  two  tribes.  It  was  further  agreed  that  these  tribes  should  re- 
main on  the  lands  till  the  said  lands  were  disposed  of.  It  was  mutu- 
ally agreed  that  no  private  revenge  should  be  taken  for  wrongs  but 
that  offenders  should  be  turned  over  to  the  proper  authorities.  Citi- 
zens of  the  United  States  were  not  to  make  settlements  on  this  ceded 
territory.  No  traders  should  live  among  the  Indians  except  those 
authorized  by  the  United  States,  etc. 

Black  Hawk  with  whom  we  shall  deal  in  this  chapter,  said  the 
chiefs  who  signed  the  treaty  were  made  drunk  and  that  they  were 
not  authorized  to  cede  this  land.  It  should  also  be  kept  in  mind  that 
the  territory  ceded  was  also  the  home  of  two  other  large  tribes,  the 
Winnebagoes  and  the  Pottowatomies. 

The  British  greatly  influenced  the  Indians  in  the  northwest,  and 
the  two  were  allies  in  the  war  from  1812-1815.  At  the  close  of  this 
war,  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  entered  into  another  treaty  with  the  United 
States.  Black  Hawk  did  not  sign  this  treaty  which,  it  was  hoped, 
would  secure  peace. 

Upon  the  admission  of  Illinois  in  1818  the  settlers  began  to  flock 
into  the  state  and  within  the  next  ten  years  the  settlers  began  to 
encroach  upon  the  lands  actually  occupied  by  the  Sac  and  Fox  tribes. 
The  Winnebago  war  occurred  in  the  summer  of  1827.  Among  the  In- 
dians who  were  held  responsible  for  this  was  Black  Hawk,  a  very 
prominent  Indian  of  the  Sac  and  Fox  tribes.  He  and  several  more 
Indians  were  arrested  and  held  in  prison  for  several  months.  Some 
of  the  offenders  were  adjudged  guilty  and  executed,  others  were 
turned  loose,  among  whom  was  Black  Hawk.  In  1830,  a  treaty  was 
executed  at  Prairie  du  Chien  in  which  the  Sac  and  Fox  Indians  un- 
der the  leadership  of  Keokuk  ceded  all  the  lands  east  of  the  Missis- 
sippi river  to  the  United  States.  Black  Hawk  had  nothing  to  do  with 
this  treaty. 

The  seventh  article  of  the  treaty  of  1804  provided  that  the  In- 
dians should  remain  around  Rock  river  till  the  United  States  dis- 
posed of  the  land.  In  1826  or  thereabouts  the  government  surveyed 
and  sold  quite  a  number  of  plots  of  land  in  and  about  the  village  of 
Saukenuk,  and  the  whites  began  to  come  in.  In  the  fall  of  1830  the  In- 
dians went  on  their  annual  hunt  and  while  absent  during  the  winter, 
heard  that  the  whites  were  occupying  their  village.  This  village  con- 
tained about  five  hundred  cabins  of  very  good  construction  capable 
of  sheltering  six  thousand  people. 

In  the  early  spring  of  1831  when  they  returned  to  that  locality, 
they  found  the  whites  in  their  village.  In  the  meantime  Keokuk  was 
doing  what  he  could  to  induce  his  people  to  remain  on  the  west  side 
of  the  Mississippi  and  to  find  homes  there.  And  more  than  likely  at 


184  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

the  same  time  Black  Hawk  was  doing  his  best  to  persuade  them  to 
return  to  their  old  village.  At  least  this  was  what  was  done.  Black 
Hawk,  with  a  great  number  of  women,  children  and  three  hundred 
warriors  returned  and  occupied  their  village  of  Saukenuk.  Of  course 
this  meant  trouble,  for  the  whites  were  also  occupying  the  same  vil- 
lage. Seeing  that  they  could  not  drive  off  the  Indians  the  whites 
agreed  to  occupy  the  village  jointly  and  to  share  the  tillable  land, 
about  700  acres.  The  whites,  however,  took  the  best  land  and  in  this 
way  showed  their  contempt  for  the  Indians.  All  sorts  of  stories  be- 
gan now  to  reach  the  governor  at  Vandalia,  and  also  the  United 
States  military  commandant,  General  Gaines,  at  St.  Louis.  The  In- 
dian agent  at  Fort  Armstrong  also  was  aware  of  the  coming  conflict. 
An  appeal  was  sent  to  Governor  Reynolds  stating  that  the  whites 
had  suffered  many  indignities  from  the  Indians  and  had  sustained 
losses  of  cattle,  horses,  and  crops.  Probably  the  facts  are,  the  In- 
dians were  the  greater  sufferers.  There  is  good  evidence,  says 
Brown's  history,  that  the  Indians  were  made  drunk  and  then  cheated 
badly  in  trades;  their  women  were  abused  and  one  young  man  beaten 
so  that  he  died  from  the  effects. 

CALL  TO  ARMS 

Governor  Reynolds  acted  with  some  haste  probably  and  ordered 
out  seven  hundred  mounted  militiamen.  He  communicated  this  fact 
to  General  Gaines  and  suggested  that  he,  Gaines,  might  by  the  exer- 
cise of  some  of  his  authority  or  diplomacy,  induce  Black  Hawk  to 
move  west  of  the  river.  General  Gaines  thought  the  regulars,  some 
eight  hundred  or  nine  hundred  strong  would  be  able  to  handle  the 
difficulty,  but  the  militiamen  were  already  on  their  way  to  Beards- 
town,  the  place  of  rendezvous.  General  Gaines  accompanied  by  six 
hundred  regulars  moved  up  the  Mississippi  and  on  the  7th  of  June 
a  council  was  held  between  General  Gaines  and  Governor  Reynolds 
on  the  side  of  the  whites,  and  Black  Hawk,  Keokuk,  and  twenty-six 
chiefs  and  headmen  upon  the  part  of  the  Indians.  A  treaty  was 
agreed  upon. 

The  treaty  contained  six  articles,  and  provided:  1.  That  Black 
Hawk  and  his  disgruntled  people  would  submit  to  Keokuk  and  his 
friendly  Indians  and  re-cross  the  river  to  the  west  side.  2.  That 
all  lands  west  of  the  river  claimed  by  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  were  guar- 
anteed to  them.  3.  The  Indians  agreed  not  to  hold  communication 
with  the  British.  4.  The  United  States  have  right  to  build  forts 
and  roads  in  the  Indians'  territory.  5.  The  friendly  chiefs  agree 
to  preserve  order  in  their  tribes.  6.  Permanent  peace  was  declared. 
The  Indians  then  peaceably  withdrew  to  the  west  side  of  the  river. 
The  Indians  were  in  such  distressed  condition  that  General  Gaines 
and  Governor  Reynolds  issued  large  quantities  of  food  to  them.  The 
army  was  disbanded  and  returned  home. 

Governor  Reynolds  himself  assumed  the  active  command  of  the 
militia.  The  account  he  gives  of  the  organization  and  movement  of 
his  troops  would  make  one  think  of  the  campaigns  of  a  great  general. 
Every  man  furnished  his  own  horse  and  carried  his  own  gun,  if  he 
had  one,  but  hundreds  appeared  at  Beardstown  without  guns.  The 
government  had  sent  guns  to  Beardstown  but  not  enough,  so  Rey- 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


185 


nolds  bought  some  brass-barreled  muskets  of  a  merchant  in  Beards- 
town.  Joseph  Duncan,  congressman,  was  made  brigadier  general, 
and  Samuel  Whiteside  major  to  have  charge  of  the  spy  battalion. 
Most  of  the  other  officers  were  elected  by  the  troops.  The  whole 
army  was  divided  into  two  regiments  and  the  spy  battalion.  Col. 
James  D.  Henry  commanded  one  and  Col.  Daniel  Leib  the  other  regi- 
ment. The  army  broke  camp  near  Rushville  June  15,  and  in  four 
days  reached  the  Mississippi,  eight  miles  below  Saukenuk.  Here  Gen- 
eral Gaines  received  the  army  into  the  United  States  service.  On 
account  of  a  delay  the  Indians  who  occupied  the  village  departed  up 
the  Rock  river.  The  regulars  and  militia  followed  at  a  safe  distance. 


BLACK  HAWK,  THE  NOTED  INDIAN  WARRIOR 

Black  Hawk  eventually  crossed  over  on  the  west  side  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi and  the  treaty  above  referred  to  was  negotiated. 

The  British  Band,  as  Black  Hawk  and  his  followers  were  called, 
remained  on  the  west  side  till  the  spring  of  1832.  In  the  early  spring 
of  this  year,  April  6,  Black  Hawk  and  his  braves  crossed  to  the  east 
side  of  the  Mississippi  in  spite  of  the  remonstrances  of  General  Atkin- 
son, who  was  stationed  at  Fort  Armstrong  with  a  few  regulars.  He 
passed  the  old  village  of  Saukenuk  and  proceeded  up  the  Rock  river 
as  if  to  join  the  Winnebagoes,  where  he  said  he  wished  to  raise  a  crop 
in  conjunction  with  that  tribe.  General  Atkinson  notified  Black  Hawk 
that  he  was  violating  his  treaty  and  ordered  him  to  return  but  he  did 
not  heed  the  order. 

This  movement  on  the  part  of  Black  Hawk  created  consternation 
among  the  whites  all  along  the  northern  frontier  from  the  Mississippi 
to  Chicago  and  the  people  hastily  left  their  homes  and  took  refuge 
farther  south  where  the  population  was  numerous,  and  means  of  de- 


186  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

fense  ample.  Many  fled  to  Fort  Dearborn  and  remained  there  till  the 
war  closed. 

Governor  Reynolds  having  been  notified  of  Black  Hawk's  move- 
ments and  knowing  that  an  indiscretion  on  the  part  of  either  the  Indians 
or  the  whites  would  lead  to  serious  consequences,  decided  to  take  pre- 
cautionary measures  and  avert  so  unfortunate  a  result.  He  also  re- 
ceived a  request  from  General  Atkinson  for  troops  and  on  the  sixteenth 
of  April  the  governor  issued  a  call  for  a  large  body  of  troops.  They 
were  to  assemble  at  Beardstown  on  the  twenty-second  of  April.  As  in 
the  campaign  of  the  previous  year,  Governor  Reynolds  took  the  field 
himself.  As  he  passed  through  the  country  to  Beardstown  he  held  con- 
ferences and  otherwise  took  the  people  into  his  confidence.  At  Jack- 
sonville the  governor  had  word  from  Dixon,  in  the  heart  of  the  Pottowa- 
tomie  country,  that  war  was  inevitable.  On  arriving  at  Beardstown, 
the  governor  moved  his  army  to  a  point  north  of  Rushville.  Samuel 
Whiteside  was  made  brigadier  general  in  command  of  four  regiments, 
and  two  irregular  battalions.  At  Beardstown  he  received  more  news 
of  the  hostile  attitude  of  Black  Hawk  and  his  band. 

When  the  army  was  thoroughly  organized  the  governor  ordered  a 
forward  movement  on  the  twenty-seventh  of  April.  The  next  stop  was 
to  be  the  Yellow  Banks,  which  were  in  Mercer  county,  on  the  Missis- 
sippi river.  Most  of  the  troops  were  on  horseback  but  about  two 
hundred  men  were  marching  as  infantry.  The  roads  were  very  bad 
and  streams  had  to  be  forded.  Reynolds  says  that  most  of  the  men, 
two  thousand  in  number,  were  backwoodsmen  and  were  used  to  such 
hardships.  When  the  army  reached  the  Mississippi  the  provisions  had 
not  yet  arrived  from  St.  Louis  and  after  several  days  of  anxiety  three 
trusty  men,  Huitt,  Tunnell,  and  Ames,  of  Greene  county,  were  asked 
if  they  could  reach  Rock  Island,  fifty  miles  away,  that  day.  They 
undertook  the  task  and  delivered  to  General  Atkinson  the  message  from 
the  governor  on  the  self-same  day.  From  the  Yellow  Banks  the  troops 
marched  to  Fort  Armstrong  where  they  were  received  into  the  U.  S. 
service.  General  Atkinson  now  assumed  command  and  the  whole 
body  of  five  hundred  regulars  and  two  thousand  militia  marched  up 
Rock  river  toward  Dixon,  where  it  was  understood  Black  Hawk  and 
his  band  were.  Spies  were  sent  abroad  who  reported  presently  the 
presence  of  Black  Hawk  above  Dixon.  Dixon  was  reached  on  the 
twelfth  of  May.  Here  other  information  came  to  the  effect  that  Black 
Hawk's  band  was  broken  up  and  the  men  were  hunting  food.  Here 
also  the  governor  found  Major  Stillman  and  Major  Bailey,  who  had 
been  ordered  to  guard  the  frontier.  These  two  majors  and  their  bat- 
talions were  anxious  to  reconnoitre  the  frontier  and  if  possible  locate 
the  hostile  band.  Governor  Reynolds  therefore  gave  them  orders  to 
proceed  to  "Old  Man's  creek,"  where,  it  was  reported,  there  were 
hostile  Indians. 

On  the  thirteenth  of  May,  Major  Stillman  marched  out  of  Dixon 
with  two  hundred  and  seventy-five  men  and  with  all  necessary  equip- 
ment for  a  contest  with  the  hostile  Indians.  He  went  some  twenty-five 
miles  to  the  northeast.  Here,  on  the  evening  of  the  fourteenth,  he 
crossed  a  small  stream  and  began  preparations  for  the  night's  camp. 
Presently  three  unarmed  Indians  came  into  camp  bearing  a  flag  of 
truce.  And  in  a  few  moments  five  more,  armed,  appeared  upon  a  hill 
some  distance  away.  Many  of  the  soldiers  hurriedly  remounted  their 


HISTORY-  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  187 

horses  and  gave  chase.  The  Indians  gave  them  a  roundabout  chase  and 
finally  led  them  in  what  appeared  to  be  an  ambush  of  fifty  or  seventy- 
five  of  Black  Hawk's  warriors.  As  soon  as  the  soldiers  saw  their 
predicament,  they  started  on  a  retreat  and  passing  through  the  camp 
transmitted  to  those  there  the  contagion  of  flight.  All  was  now  con- 
fusion, one  of  their  number  having  already  been  killed  (James  Doty). 
They  floundered  across  the  creek  and  in  their  retreat  Captain  Adams 
and  some  fifteen  men  concluded  to  make  a  stand  a  half  mile  from  their 
camp.  It  was  dark  and  the  fight  was  a  desperate  hand  to  hand  struggle. 
At  least  nine  of  Adams'  men  were  slain,  including  the  captain.  The 
retreat  continued.  The  earliest  ones  to  reach  Dixon  came  about  mid- 
night, and  they  continued  to  arrive  till  morning.  The  dreadful  news 
which  these  men  brought  from  the  scene  of  carnage  filled  the  army  with 
terror  and  gloom.  The  entire  army,  or  at  least  two  thousand  five  hun- 
dred men,  proceeded  to  the  scene  of  the  defeat.  They  buried  eleven 
of  Major  Stillman's  men.  It  seems  that  when  the  Indians  had  followed 
the  retreating  army  some  distance,  they  returned  and  mutilated  the 
bodies  of  Captain  Adams'  men  and  later  went  to  the  camp,  broke  the 
spokes  from  the  wagons,  poured  out  a  keg  of  whiskey,  destroyed  the 
provisions,  and  returned  to  their  camp.  The  names  of  the  twelve  men 
who  sacrificed  their  lives  in  this  unfortunate  expedition  are  David 
Kreeps,  Zadock  Mendinall,  Isaac  Perkins,  James  Milton,  Tyrus  M. 
Childs,  Joseph  B.  Parris,  Bird  W.  Ellis,  John  Walters,  Joseph  Draper, 
James  Doty,  Gideon  Munson,  and  Captain  Adams. 

The  effect  of  this  defeat  and  rout  was  depressing  in  the  extreme. 
The  volunteers  immediately  began  to  talk  of  returning  to  their  homes. 
In  fact  Governor  Reynolds  says,  in  "My  Own  Times"  that  he  wrote 
out  the  order  the  night  of  the  defeat,  for  two  thousand  new  troops  and 
by  next  morning  three  trusted  men  were  on  their  way  to  distribute  this 
call  throughout  the  state.  The  militiamen  becoming  impatient,  Gover- 
nor Reynolds  and  General  Atkinson  plead  with  the  men  to  stay  at 
least  twelve  or  fifteen  days  until  the  new  levies  could  reach  the  front. 
This  they  finally  agreed  to  do.  General  Atkinson,  now  in  command  of 
the  militia  and  regulars,  moved  up  Rock  river,  and  when  somewhere  in 
the  vicinty  of  the  present  city  of  Oregon  or  probably  higher  up,  they 
received  word  of  a  horrible  massacre  of  fifteen  whites  near  Ottawa. 
This,  too,  was  depressing,  and  not  finding  Black  Hawk,  General  Atkin- 
son and  the  regulars  returned  to  Dixon  and  General  "Whiteside  and 
Col.  Zachary  Taylor  went  in  further  quest  of  the  warriors.  They  came 
to  an  abandoned  camp  on  Sycamore  creek  where  they  found  several 
things  taken  from  Major  Stillman's  camp,  but  not  finding  the  Indians 
the  soldiers  again  became  persistent  in  their  determination  to  return 
to  their  farms  and  business.  General  Whiteside  not  being  himself 
much  in  sympathy  with  further  pursuit  of  the  Indians,  ordered  a  vote 
among  all  commanding  officers  as  to  what  they  wished  to  do.  The~ 
votes  stood  about  half  in  favor  of  continuing  the  campaign  and  half 
against  further  service.  When  the  governor  became  aware  of  the 
demoralized  spirit  in  the  army  he  ordered  them  to  march  to  Ottawa 
where  they  were  discharged. 

General  Atkinson  and  Governor  Reynolds  were  deeply  concerned 
for  the  safety  of  the  frontier  and  in  addition  to  the  two  thousand  men 
called  into  service  the  night  of  the  Stillman  defeat  they  yet  needed 
more  troops.  After  the  muster-out  of  the  men  was  completed  the 


188  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  .ILLINOIS 

governor  called  for  volunteers  and  a  regiment  was  enlisted  without 
any  loss  of  time  for  thirty  days.  Col.  Jacob  Fry  was  given  command. 

Ottawa  and  vicinity  seemed  to  be  a  kind  of  storm  center  for  Indian 
depredations  and  many  very  exciting  stories  are  told  of  personal  en- 
counters on  the  frontier  during  the  summer  of  1832.  The  war  had 
degenerated  into  bushwhacking,  rapine,  and  murder.  One  never  knew 
when  a  savage  was  at  his  back.  It  was  therefore  the  business  of  this 
thirty-day  regiment  under  Col.  Jacob  Fry  to  guard  the  various  localities 
till  the  arrival  of  the  new  troops  called  into  service  the  night  of  the 
Stillman  defeat. 

There  were  in  Colonel  Fry 's  regiment  seven  companies,  one  of  which 
was  commanded  by  Captain  Snyder  of  St.  Clair  county.  Captain 
Snyder's  company  was  sent  over  in  the  region  of  Burr  Oak  Grove 
(called  Kellogg 's  Grove).  The  Indians  were  committing  depredations 
in  that  region.  On  the  night  of  June  17  he  was  encamped  near  the 
above  grove.  His  camp  was  attacked  that  night,  and  the  next  morning 
his  force  went  in  search  of  the  attacking  parties.  They  finally  overtook 
the  Indians  and  killed  four  of  them.  One  of  Captain  Snyder's  men 
was  mortally  wounded,  and  while  taking  this  wounded  man  to  the  camp 
the  escort  was  set  upon  by  seventy-five  Indians  and  the  wounded  man 
was  butchered  by  the  savages  while  two  more  of  Snyder's  men  were 
killed.  A  few  regulars  under  Major  Riley  came  to  Captain  Snyder's 
relief  and  the  Indians  fled  with  a  loss  of  four  dead.  The  thirty  days 
enlistment  was  up  and  Captain  Snyder's  men  were  mustered  out. 

The  new  levies  began  concentrating  at  Fort  Wilburn  near  Peru,  in 
June,  and  the  task  of  organizing  them  was  not  an  easy  one.  Three 
brigades  were  formed  with  Generals  Alexander  Posey,  Milton  K.  Alex- 
ander, and  James  D.  Henry  in  command.  There  were  about  one  thou- 
sand men  in  each  division.  They  were  accepted  by  General  Atkinson 
as  United  States  troops.  Governor  Reynolds  used  good  diplomacy  in 
his  appointments  to  the  various  positions  in  the  army.  In  addition  to 
the  three  brigades  there  were  two  or  three  independent  organizations 
whose  duty  was  to  guard  the  frontier. 

Major  Dement  with  one  hundred  and  fifty  men  was  sent  to  guard 
the  region  of  Kellogg 's  Grove  while  the  main  army  moved  up  the  Rock 
river.  Major  Dement  and  his  men  arrived  at  the  Kellogg  Grove  on 
Saturday,  June  21,  and  took  up  quarters  in  some  old  log  houses  which 
had  been  the  home  of  Mr.  O.  "W.  Kellogg.  Upon  the  opening  of  hostili- 
ties he  had  moved  nearer  Dixon's  ferry.  They  put  their  horses  in  a 
lot  fenced  in  with  a  brush  fence.  Sunday  night  a  Mr.  Funk,  of  Mc- 
Lean county,  stayed  over  night  with  the  troops  and  reported  Indians  in 
the  vicinity.  On  the  morrow,  twenty-five  soldiers  started  in  pursuit. 
They  were  drawn  into  the  edge  of  the  timber  by  straggling  Indians 
when  out  rushed  hundreds  of  naked  savages  with  their  faces  blackened. 
The  troops  fled  precipitately  to  the  log  huts  with  scarcely  time  enough 
to  put  their  horses  in  the  brush  lot  and  get  into  the  fort.  Four  dead 
were  left  on  the  field.  All  that  day  the  Indians  circled  round,  firing 
continuously  into  the  fort.  Dement  lost  only  the  four  men  but  had 
several  wounded.  The  Indians  seeing  they  could  do  no  harm  to  the 
men  in  the  fort,  began  a  slaughter  of  horses  in  the  brush-fenced  lot. 
Governor  Reynolds  says  forty-seven  horses  were  killed  at  the  fort  be- 
sides two  or  three  on  the  battlefield. 

After  the  battle  had  raged  an  hour  or  so,  messengers  were  sent  to 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  189 

Dixon  for  reinforcements.  As  good  fortune  would  have  it  these  mes- 
sengers met  General  Posey,  who  was  on  his  way  north  to  the  Wisconsin 
line.  General  Posey  hurried  forward  and  reached  the  fort  by  night 
and  the  Indians  seeing  that  reinforcements  had  arrived,  slipped  away. 

The  Rev.  Samuel  Westbrook  told  the  writer  that  he  was  with  General 
Posey 's  troops  and  that  there  were  sixty  horses  killed  and  that  they  were 
nearly  all  killed  by  one  Indian  who  was  hidden  behind  a  tree.  This  In- 
dian was  finally  killed  and  the  slaughter  of  the  horses  ceased. 

The  next  morning  after  the  arrival  of  General  Posey  a  grave  was 
dug  with  tomahawks  and  knives  and  the  four  dead  soldiers  whose  bodies 
had  been  mangled  beyond  recognition,  were  buried  in  one  grave.  This 
ended  the  war  in  that  section.  Black  Hawk  was  present  and  was 
probably  the  commanding  spirit  in  the  attack  upon  Captain  Snyder 
as  well  as  the  one  on  Major  Dement. 

After  his  defeat  at  Kellogg 's  Grove  by  Major  Dement 's  forces, 
Black  Hawk  retreated  with  all  his  people  to  the  hills  of  southern  Wis- 
consin. General  Atkinson  followed  with  nearly  four  thousand  men. 
Upon  reaching  Burnt  Village  the  army  halted.  Here  there  seemed  so 
much  indecision  and  lack  of  plan  in  the  campaign  that  the  volunteers 
became  much  discouraged.  Food  became  scarce  and  desertions  were 
quite  the  order  of  the  day. 

After  some  counseling,  it  was  decided  to  disperse  the  army  to  obtain 
food.  A  strong  detachment  went  to  Fort  Winnebago,  at  the  Wisconsin 
portage,  for  supplies.  General  Atkinson  returned  down  Rock  river  to 
Kosh-Ko-Nong,  General  Posey  to  Fort  Hamilton.  Governor  Reynolds 
came  to  his  home  in  Belleville. 

The  detachment  which  went  to  Fort  Winnebago  under  General 
Dodge  and  General  Henry,  was  about  ready  to  return  with  provisions 
when  they  received  word  that  Black  Hawk  was  on  Rock  river  about 
thirty-five  miles  above  the  point  where  General  Atkinson  was  in  camp. 
After  some  conferences  among  the  officers  it  was  decided  to  attack 
Black  Hawk  instead  of  returning  to  General  Atkinson  as  he  had  ordered. 
General  Henry,  therefore  made  all  preparations  for  what  he  thought 
ought  to  be  the  end  of  the  campaign.  With  a  very  well  equipped  army 
of  probably  a  thousand  men  or  less,  he  started  in  quest  of  Black  Hawk. 
The  wily  chief  knew  he  was  in  danger  and  immediately  began  a  retreat, 
passing  by  the  four  lakes  where  Wisconsin's  beautiful  capital  is  now 
situated.  He  was  vigorously  pushed  by  General  Henry.  On  the  bluffs 
of  the  Wisconsin  river  about  twenty-five  miles  northwest  of  Madison, 
the  Indians  were  overtaken. 

A  desperate  stand  was  made  by  Black  Hawk,  but  at  the  end  of  the 
day's  fighting  he  crossed  the  river  leaving  one  hundred  and  sixty-eight 
of  his  braves  dead  upon  the  field  of  battle,  and  twenty-five  more  were 
found  dead  between  the  Wisconsin  and  the  Mississippi.  General  Henry 
lost  but  one  man  killed  and  eight  wounded. 

General  Henry  was  now  without  provisions,  deserted  by  his  Indian 
guides,  and  in  the  wilderness.  While  here  he  received  word  from  Gen- 
eral Atkinson  to  repair  to  the  mounds  some  twenty  miles  south  of  west 
of  Madison  where  the  regular  army  would  have  provisions.  The 
wounded  were  carried  on  stretchers  to  that  point.  After  a  slight  rest 
the  army  now  under  General  Atkinson  crossed  the  Wisconsin  at  a 
deserted  village  called  Helena,  and  started  in  pursuit  of  the  enemy. 
Black  Hawk's  band  was  in  a  truly  deplorable  condition.  They  were 


190  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

living  on  roots,  bulbs,  and  game  such  as  could  be  had,  and  are  said  to 
have  killed  their  horses  for  flesh.  Nor  were  the  soldiers  in  very  excel- 
lent condition.  They  had  provisions,  but  they  slept  in  open  air,  tramped 
through  swamps,  climbed  precipitous  bluffs,  and  scrambled  through 
briars  and  dense  underbrush.  On  August  2,  1832,  the  army  reached 
the  Mississippi  bluffs  about  forty  miles  on  a  straight  line  above  the 
mouth  of  the  Wisconsin  river.  Here  was  to  be  enacted  the  final  scene 
of  this  tragedy  of  greed  and  treachery. 

The  Indians  had  reached  the  above  point  a  day  or  so  in  advance  of 
the  army  and  were  busily  engaged  in  making  preparations  to  cross. 
In  fact  they  had  already  sent  some  of  their  people  over  to  the  west  side 
and  were  embarking  their  women  and  children  in  canoes  to  go  to 
Prairie  du  Chien  for  safety.  A  part  of  them  were  lost  on  the  way  and 
those  who  reached  the  village  were  in  a  starving  condition.  While  all 
this  was  going  on,  a  steamboat,  the  Warrior,  coming  up  the  river  tc 
bring  supplies  to  General  Atkinson's  army,  reached  the  camp  August 
13.  This  vessel  was  prepared  for  battle  and  upon  approaching  the 
camp  of  Black  Hawk,  which  was  in  the  valley  near  the  banks  of  the 
Mississippi,  it  was  hailed  with  a  white  flag.  The  captain  ordered  the 
Indians  to  come  along  side  in  a  canoe  but  they  refused,  and  he  then 
gave  them  fifteen  minutes  to  get  the  women  and  children  out  of  danger. 
He  then  fired  a  six-pounder  into  their  midst  and  a  battle  of  an  hour 
followed.  The  vessel  returned  to  Prairie  du  Chien  and  remained  over 
night.  As  a  result  of  this  attack  by  the  boat,  twenty-three  of  Black 
Hawk's  men  lay  dead  in  the  valley. 

On  the  morning  of  the  second  of  August  the  army  appeared  on  the 
bluffs  overlooking  the  valley  and  the  Indian  encampment.  Black  Hawk, 
to  shield  the  operations  which  were  going  on  for  crossing  the  river,  took 
twenty  warriors  and  engaged  the  army  on  the  bluffs  and  then  retreated 
up  the  river  with  the  purpose  of  misleading  General  Atkinson.  This 
worked  to  perfection  for  the  regulars,  the  Wisconsin  contingent,  and 
some  of  the  Illinois  militia  set  off  post  haste  after  Black  Hawk  leaving 
only  General  Henry  and  Major  Ewing.  When  the  commanding  general 
and  the  troops  were  gone,  Henry  and  Ewing  moved  down  the  bluffs 
and  across  the  valley  and  presently  discovered  the  Indians  near  the 
river  bank  where  they  had  been  attacked  by  the  steamboat  the  day 
before.  General  Henry  and  the  Indians  were  soon  engaged  and  as 
General  Henry's  soldiers  pushed  forward  with  fixed  bayonets  the  poor 
savages  were  shot  down,  bayoneted,  or  driven  into  the  river.  There  were 
about  three  hundred  braves,  and  in  Henry's  little  band  about  three 
hundred  soldiers.  During  all  this  time  General  Atkinson  had  been  de- 
coyed off  up  the  river  and  returned  only  when  General  Henry  had 
finished  the  work  of  annihilating  the  Indians.  It  is  estimated  that  one 
hundred  and  fifty  Indians  lost  their  lives  in  trying  to  swim  the  river, 
one  hundred  and  fifty  were  killed,  a  few  got  safely  across  to  the  west 
side,  fifty  women  and  children  were  captured,  while  Black  Hawk  and 
about  twenty  warriors  escaped  up  the  river. 

THE  END 

The  war  was  now  considered  ended  and  the  Illinois  soldiers  were 
marched  to  Dixon,  where  they  were  mustered  out  and  thence  returned 
to  their  homes.  Gen.  Winfield  Scott  had  been  ordered  from  Fortress 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  191 

Monroe  on  the  7th  of  August,  1832,  to  assist  in  the  restoration  of 
order  and  in  the  punishment  of  the  insolent  savages.  He  made  tne 
trip  from  the  seaboard  to  Chicago  in  eighteen  days — the  distance  being 
one  thousand  five  hundred  miles. 

The  Asiatic  cholera  broke  out  in  his  army  and  he  did  not  take  any 
part  in  the  '"war."  Black  Hawk  finally  was  induced  to  come  to  Fort 
Armstrong  (Rock  Island)  to  sign  a  treaty,  but  the  parties  of  the  treaty 
were  conveyed  to  St.  Louis  where  the  Sac  and  Fox  Indians  ceded  every- 
thing east  of  the  Mississippi  river  to  the  United  States.  Black  Hawk 
was  kept  a  prisoner  in  Fortress  Monroe  a  while  in  the  spring  of  1833. 
Later  he  was  given  a  brief  visit  to  the  principal  cities  in  New  England, 
after  which  he  was  returned  to  General  Street,  the  Indian  agent  at 
Fort  Armstrong.  He  was  put  under  the  wardship  of  Keokuk,  which 
Black  Hawk  considered  a  great  indignity.  He  died  at  the  age  of 
seventy-one  years.  Black  Hawk  was  an  Indian  with  more  than  ordinary 
power.  He  was  a  man  whose  thoughts  occupied  a  very  high  plane,  as 
did  those  of  other  Indian  chiefs,  but  he  was  shrewd,  quick  to  see  an 
advantage,  persistent,  revengeful.  His  history  has  been  written  by 
two  or  three  different  writers. 

The  war  closed  with  the  battle  of  Bad  Axe  on  the  second  of  August, 
1832.  The  soldiers  returned  to  their  homes  and  quiet  was  restored. 
The  general  government  bore  the  expenses  of  the  war  which  are  said  to 
have  reached  $2,000,000.  There  were  killed  about  two  hundred  and  fifty 
regulars,  and  about  the  same  number  of  militia  men  and  settlers;  the 
Indians  suffered  a  loss  of  probably  three  hundred. 

There  has  been  some  question  as  to  whether  this  war  might  not 
have  been  averted.  It  was  a  good  deal  to  ask  Indians  who  had  cleared 
seven  hundred  acres  of  land  and  had  it  in  cultivation,  to  move  off  and 
go  into  a  new  country.  The  conduct  of  the  whites  in  encroaching  upon 
the  lands,  village,  and  burying  ground  in  the  vicinity  of  Saukenuk 
was  wholly  inexcusable.  Moses  says:  "The  real  cause  of  the  war 
existed  in  that  almost  universal  detestation  in  which  the  Indians  were 
held  by  the  pioneers.  Their  presence  could  not  be  tolerated,  and 
whether  the  lands  occupied  by  them  were  needed  by  the  whites  or  not, 
the  cry  was  'The  Indians  must  go!'  ' 

The  "war"  made  several  reputations.  For  quite  a  number  of  years 
it  was  a  passport  to  official  position  to  be  able  to  say,  "I  was  a  soldier 
in  the  Black  Hawk  war."  General  Henry,  who  seems  to  have  been 
providentially  favored  in  the  war  never  lived  to  reap  political  profit 
as  a  reward  for  his  services.  He  was  a  native  of  Pennslyvania  and 
came  to  Edwardsville  in  1822.  He  secured  an  education  under  very 
difficult  circumstances,  working  as  a  mechanic  by  day  and  attending 
night  schools  in  the  evening.  In  1826  he  removed  to  Springfield  and 
was  shortly  elected  sheriff  of  Sangamon  county.  It  was  as  an  officer 
that  Governor  Reynolds'  attention  was  called  to  him.  After  the  war 
his  health  failing,  he  visited  New  Orleans  for  medical  attention,  and 
for  the  benefit  the  climate  might  do,  but  nothing  availed  and  he  died 
of  consumption,  March  4,  1834.  It  is  said  that  before  the  war  he  was 
supposed  to  have  had  a  sound  constitution  but  that  the  hardships  in- 
cident to  two  years  of  military  life  undermined  his  health  and  he  died 
as  above  stated.  His  modesty  is  attested  by  the  fact  that  he  did  not 
let  the  people  of  New  Orleans  know  that  he  was  the  real  hero  in  the 
Black  Hawk  war. 


192  HISTOKY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

Among  other  men  who  made  praiseworthy  records  was  Governor 
Reynolds  himself,  who  never  tired  in  his  devotion  to  his  duty  as  the 
commander-in-chief  of  the  militia.  Thomas  Ford  and  Joseph  Duncan 
both  became  governors  of  Illinois.  Abraham  Lincoln  and  Jefferson 
Davis  were  soldiers  in  the  Black  Hawk  war.  Quite  a  number  of  men 
who  became  prominent  state  officers  were  officers  or  soldiers  in  the  war. 

SECOND  HALF  OP  ADMINISTRATION 

During  the  second  half  of  Governor  Reynold's  term  as  chief  execu- 
tive there  was  little  of  general  public  interest.  The  state,  by  the 
apportionment  based  on  the  census  of  1830,  was  entitled  to  three  con- 
gressmen. This  apportionment  was  made  in  time  for  the  selection  at 
the  regular  election  in  August,  1832.  The  three  men  selected  were 
Zadoc  Casey,  Charles  Slade,  and  Joseph  Duncan.  The  election  for 
members  of  the  general  assembly  occurred  at  the  same  time.  The  leg- 
islature met  in  December.  The  governor's  message  dealt  somewhat 
with  national  politics,  since  Jackson  and  the  South  Carolina  milliners 
were  in  the  public  eye.  Reynolds  urged  upon  the  attention  of  the  gen- 
eral assembly  the  cause  of  education,  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  canal, 
or  a  railroad  instead,  and  the  penitentiary  system.  The  house  of  rep- 
resentatives early  in  this  session  brought  charges  against  Theophilus 
W.  Smith,  one  of  the  justices  of  the  supreme  court.  He  was  formally 
impeached,  and  tried  before  the  senate,  but  was  acquitted.  The  legis- 
lature adjourned  without  accomplishing  very  much  in  the  way  of 
needed  legislation. 

In  the  summer  of  1834  there  was  another  congressional  election. 
And  although  Reynold's,  time  as  governor  would  not  be  out  till  De- 
cember, 1834,  yet  he  announced  himself  a  candidate  for  congress  and 
was  elected.  The  lieutenant  governor,  Zadoc  Casey,  had  resigned  two 
years  before  to  go  to  congress  and  now  Reynolds  resigned  as  governor 
and  the  burden  and  honor  of  the  chief  magistracy  fell  upon  the  shoul- 
ders of  Gen.  W.  L.  D.  Ewing,  who  served  as  governor  fifteen  days  and 
until  the  inauguration  of  Governor  Duncan. 

Governor  Ewing  was  a  Kentuckian.  He  came  to  Illinois  prior  to 
1820,  and  held  a  federal  appointment  in  this  state  under  President 
Monroe ;  served  in  the  legislature,  and  as  brigadier  general  of  the  ' '  Spy 
Battalion"  in  the  Black  Hawk  war.  He  was  elected  president  pro  tern 
of  the  senate  in  the  ninth  general  assembly  and  thus  became  the  con- 
stitutional successor  of  Governor  Reynolds  upon  the  latter 's  resigna- 
tion. Governor  Ewing  later  served  in  congress  as  representative  and 
as  senator.  He  also  held  the  office  of  auditor.  He  died  in  1846. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 
ADMINISTRATION  OP  GOVERNOR  JOSEPH  DUNCAN 

ELECTION  AS  GOVERNOR — BANKING  LEGISLATION  RECOMMENDED — UNITED 
STATES  AND  STATE  BANKS — REDEMPTION  EXTENSION — SUSPENSION 
OF  SPECIE  PAYMENTS — STATE  BANK  IN  LIQUIDATION — INTERNAL 
IMPROVEMENTS — RECOMMENDATIONS — BILL  PASSED  OVER  GOVERNOR'S 
VETO — CAPITAL  REMOVED  TO  SPRINGFIELD — ALSO  PASSED  OVER 
COUNCIL'S  VETO. 

Joseph  Duncan  was  a  Kentuckian,  having  been  born  at  Paris  in  that 
state,  February  23,  1794.  He  is  recorded  as  a  sergeant  in  the  Illinois 
militia,  in  Capt.  Nathan  Chambers'  company  of  30-day  men  in  the 
War  of  1812.  He  served  from  April  12  to  May  12,  1813.  He  is  also 
put  down  as  a  lieutenant  in  the  second  regiment,  Samuel  Judy,  colo- 
nel, which  served  in  the  War  of  1812.  He  is  also  said  to  have  fought 
bravely  with  Colonel  Croghan  in  the  defense  of  Port  Stephenson  in 
1813. 

At  the  close  of  the  War  of  1812,  he  settled  at  the  "big  hill,"  now 
called  "Fountain  Bluff,"  in  Jackson  county,  "In  1814,  there  was  quite 
a  large  accession  to  this  county.  Joseph  Duncan,  Dr.  John  G.  Dun- 
can, Polly  Ann  Duncan,  old  Mrs.  Moore,  their  mother,  and  her  son  Ben, 
with  several  blacks,  settled  here.  Joe  Duncan  built  the  best  house  in 
the  county,  near  the  river  and  under  the  bluff,  and  it  was  called  the 
'White  House'  as  long  as  it  stood.  He  renovated  the  mill,  and  it  did 
considerable  business.  The  Duncans  lived  there  several  years.  Dr. 
Duncan  died  and  was  buried  there."  The  foundations  of  the  mill 
dam  could  be  seen  a  few  years  ago.  Here  he  occupied  himself  in  the 
business  enterprises  common  to  those  pioneer  days.  In  1823  he  was 
appointed  a  major  general  of  militia.  In  1824  he  was  elected  to  the 
State  senate  from  Jackson  county.  In  1825  he  introduced  the  first 
legislation  on  public  schools  in  the  state.  It  was  also  the  most  rational 
that  was  suggested  for  many  years.  Mr.  Duncan  was  elected  to  con- 
gress in  1826,  took  his  seat  March  4,  1827,  and  served  continuously  till 
he  came  home  to  be  inaugurated  in  1834. 

ELECTION  AS  GOVERNOR 

The  canvass  which  preceded  the  election  in  August,  1834,  was  rather 
a  tame  affair.  Mr.  Duncan's  opponent  was  Mr.  Kinney  who  had  op- 
posed Governor  Reynolds  in  1830,  and  who  had  served  as  lieutenant 
governor  with  Governor  Edwards  from  1826  to  1830. 

Mr.  Duncan  remained  in  Washington  during  the  summer  of  1834. 

Vol.  1—13 

193 


194  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

He  carried  on  his  canvass  by  sending  out  circulars  and  letters.  His 
opponent,  Mr.  Kinney,  carried  on  his  canvass  personally,  as  he  had  in 
previous  campaigns.  Duncan's  vote  was  17,830,  while  Kinney 's  was 
10,224,  with  5,000  scattered. 

Governor  Duncan  was  naturally  a  Democrat.  He  had  been  a 
friend  to  Jackson,  but  several  things  worked  together  to  alienate  him 
from  the  hero  of  New  Orleans.  Jackson  at  the  time  was  working  the 
destruction  of  the  U.  S.  bank  and  in  his  eagerness  to  do  this  he  often 
failed  to  do  things  which  would  hold  his  friends.  Mr.  Duncan  was  very 
much  interested  in  two  measures,  one  an  appropriation  to  render  navig- 
able the  Wabash  river,  the  other  an  appropriation  to  improve  the  Chi- 
cago harbor.  In  addition  nearly  every  congressman  was  deeply  inter- 
ested in  congressional  aid  in  constructing  great  highways  from  the 
Atlantic  seaboard  to  the  region  of  the  Mississippi  river.  Jackson  vetoed 
the  two  bills,  the  one  for  the  Wabash  and  the  one  for  the  Chicago  har- 
bor, and  refused  aid  to  the  internal  improvement  scheme  at  national 
expense. 

By  the  time  of  the  canvass,  Mr.  Duncan  was  completely  at  cross 
purposes  with  the  "Military  Chieftain."  And  it  is  not  at  all  improb- 
able that  he  remained  in  Washington  in  order  that  he  might  not  be 
under  the  necessity  of  letting  the  people  know  that  the  breach  was  as 
wide  as  it  was  in  reality.  The  Whigs  knew  of  the  breach  and  so  did 
the  leaders  among  the  Jackson  men,  but  the  former  kept  still  and  the 
latter  were  not  believed  by  the  great  mass  of  Jackson  men. 

By  the  time  Governor  Duncan  took  up  the  duties  of  his  position,  it 
was  generally  known  that  he  was  not  in  harmony  with  Jackson.  And 
although  the  legislature  was  for  "Old  Hickory,"  its  members  and  Gov- 
ernor Duncan  seem  to  have  had  about  the  same  general  notions  of  what 
was  needful  for  the  upholding  of  the  interests  of  Illinois. 

BANKING  LEGISLATION  RECOMMENDED 

There  were  two  important  subjects  upon  which  he  recommended 
legislation — one  was  banking,  the  other  internal  improvement.  On  the 
latter  subject  he  recommended  the  laying  out  of  roads  now,  before  the 
country  was  settled,  so  that  they  might  run  on  the  most  direct  line  from 
one  point  to  another.  In  response  to  this  suggestion  the  legislature  auth- 
orized the  establishment  of  forty-two  state  roads  and  at  a  later  special 
session  forty  more.  In  addition,  a  law  was  passed  authorizing  county 
commissioners  to  establish  roads  within  the  limits  of  their  counties. 
This  public  road  legislation  was  only  an  earnest  of  what  was  in  store 
for  the  state  within  the  next  few  years,  and  since  the  legislation  on 
each  of  these  topics,  banking  and  internal  improvements,  was  of  such 
far  reaching  importance,  it  will  be  well  to  consider  one  at  a  time. 

We  have  in  a  previous  chapter  followed  the  financial  legislation  up 
to  the  year  1831,  the  expiration  of  the  charter  of  the  State  bank,  which 
was  granted  in  1821.  And  in  this  we  have  seen  that  the  project  ended 
very  disastrously  for  the  state.  The  last  act  in  this  ten-year  drama 
was  to  borrow  $100,000  to  redeem  the  outstanding  issue  of  the  defunct 
bank,  and  anticipating  that  this  would  not  be  sufficient  to  meet  the  en- 
tire obligation  of  the  state,  it  was  provided  that  the  state  bonds  might 
be  issued  bearing  six  per  cent  interest  to  meet  the  remainder. 

The  legislature  readily  agreed  with  the  governor  on  the  value  of 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  195 

banks  when  he  said  ' '  banks  may  be  made  useful  in  society. ' '  It  should 
be  remembered  that  the  members  of  the  general  assembly  were  not 
elected  with  any  idea  that  such  a  subject  would  be  before  them.  It 
was  therefore  quite  a  surprise  to  the  members  of  the  legislature,  as  well 
as  to  the  people,  when  they  found  themselves  absorbing  a  great  corpora- 
tion with  millions  of  capital.  A  bill  was  introduced  which  created  a 
State  bank  with  a  capital  of  $1,500,000  with  the  privilege  of  adding 
another  $1,000,000  to  the  first  named  sum  if  the  legislature  in  its  wis- 
dom saw  fit  so  to  do.  As  a  sort  of  offset  against  taxation,  the  bank  was 
to  pay  as  a  tax  to  the  state  one-half  of  one  per  cent  of  its  capital  actually 
paid  in,  but  was  to  be  subject  to  no  other  taxation.  Another  bill  pro- 
vided for  the  charter  of  the  old  Shawneetown  bank  with  a  capital  of 
$300,000.  The  bill  creating  the  State  bank  was  passed  with  difficulty. 
One  representative  agreed  to  vote  for  the  bill  if  its  friends  would  guar- 
antee to  pass  a  law  taxing  the  lands  held  by  non-residents  higher  than 
that  held  by  the  citizens  of  the  state.  Another  who  was  opposed  to  the 
law  creating  the  bank,  suddenly  became  a  convert  to  the  bank  and  voted 
for  the  measure,  and  the  next  day  he  was  elected  a  county  attorney, 
the  election  to  such  offices  falling  to  the  legislature. 

One  million  four  hundred  thousand  dollars  of  the  capital  of  the 
State  bank  was  to  be  subscribed  by  individuals  while  the  state  reserved 
$100,000  for  itself.  The  bank  was  one  of  issue  and  deposit.  The  bank 
was  to  be  managed  by  a  board  of  directors  consisting  of  nine,  one  of 
whom  should  be  president.  The  principal  bank  was  to  be  located  in 
Springfield  with  a  branch  at  Vandalia.  The  stock  was  subscribed 
quickly,  provision  being  made  in  the  charter  that  the  subscription 
books  must  remain  open  in  this  state  for  twenty  days  and  that  $5  in 
cash  must  be  deposited  with  the  subscription  of  each  share  of  $100. 
Another  clause  prevented  any  one  person  from  subscribing  for  large 
blocks  of  the  stock,  but  a  clique  headed  by  some  people  interested  in 
Alton,  got  men  over  the  state  to  authorize  the  purchase  of  stock  by  this 
clique  and  then  transferred  these  shares  to  the  Alton  boomers  and  in 
this  way  Godfrey,  Gillman  &  Co.,  of  Alton,  Thos.  Mather,  of  Kaskaskia, 
and  others  came  to  own  a  controlling  share  of  the  stock. 

The  bank  management  with  Thos.  Mather,  president,  attempted  to 
boost  Alton  as  a  great  market  and  distributing  point  and  thus  to  check 
the  growing  power  of  St.  Louis  in  the  Mississippi  valley.  The  lead 
mines  of  Galena  and  adjacent  regions  were  very  important  at  this  time. 
All  the  trade,  however,  was  centered  in  St.  Louis.  The  Alton  interest 
invested  many  thousands  of  dollars  in  the  mines  and  in  their  product 
and  thus  "cornered"  the  market.  They  held  the  lead  for  big  prices 
which  were  never  realized  and  thus  the  Alton  concerns  lost  very  heavily. 
This  involved  the  bank.  Ford  says  he  thinks  the  bank  lost  a  million 
dollars  in  the  venture.  There  was  one  arrangement  by  which  the  bank 
could  loan  on  real  estate  mortgages  and  in  this  way  hundreds  and  prob- 
ably thousands  of  the  small  farmers  borrowed  money,  put  it  into  im- 
provements, and  when  the  hard  times  of  1837  came  they  could  not  meet 
their  notes  and  their  farms  were  taken  in  by  the  bank  and  sold  under 
the  hammer. 

UNITED  STATES  AND  STATE  BANKS 

Of  course  a  great  concern  like  this  State  bank  could  not  escape  an 
alliance  with  politics.  Politics  and  business  are  so  often  joined  that  it 


By  courtesy  of  John  M.  Lansden 


BILLS  ISSUED  BY  THE  CAIRO  BANK,  BEARING  DATES  1839,  1840  AND  1841. 
THE  BANK  WAS  LOCATED  IN  KASKASKIA 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  197 

is  a  rare  thing  to  see  a  business  enterprise  that  does  not  get  caught  in 
the  toils  of  the  politicians.  The  period  through  which  we  are  now  pass- 
ing, say  from  1830  to  1837,  was  one  fraught  with  a  vital  national  ques- 
tion. Jackson  was  uncompromisingly  opposed  to  the  United  States 
bank,  chartered  in  1816.  "When  he  became  President  in  1829,  one  of  his 
chief  aims  was  to  crush  this  bank.  Not  much  was  accomplished  in  the 
first  term,  but  a  bill  to  re-charter  the  bank  was  vetoed  by  Jackson,  and 
the  congress  was  unable  to  pass  it  over  his  head.  Those  who  could 
look  ahead  saw  that  the  days  of  banking  with  the  United  States  as  a  co- 
partner were  numbered.  State  banks  must  eventually  carry  on  the 
business  of  the  country.  There  was,  therefore,  great  activity  in  legis- 
lation in  all  the  states  preparatory  to  the  death  of  the  old  U.  S.  Bank 
in  1836.  To  hasten  the  demise  of  the  U.  S.  Bank,  Jackson,  taking  ad- 
vantage of  a  clause  in  the  charter  which  permitted  the  secretary  of  the 
treasury  to  withdraw  the  deposits  of  the  general  government  from  the 
U.  S.  Bank,  and  put  them  in  State  banks,  issued  an  order  to  carry  this 
contingent  clause  into  effect. 

The  State  banks  now  looked  hopefully  forward  to  the  receipt  of 
large  sums  of  government  deposits  in  their  vaults.  The  State  bank  of 
Illinois  was  no  exception.  But  as  is  so  often  the  case,  a  very  trifling 
thing,  apparently,  prevented  this  bank  from  sharing  in  the  "distribu- 
tion of  the  spoils." 

In  the  general  assembly  when  this  bill  was  on  the  passage,  there  was 
no  division  on  politics.  The  bill  was  prepared  by  Judge  Theophilus 
Smith,  of  the  supreme  bench.  Judge  Smith  was  an  ardent  Jackson 
Democrat  and  of  course  was  a  strong  believer  in  state  banks.  But  in 
the  organization  of  the  State  Bank  of  Illinois  it  so  happened  that  a 
majority  of  the  directors  were  Whigs,  as  were  also  the  majority  of  its 
officers.  The  leading  Democrats  of  the  state  did  not  hesitate  to  say 
now  that  the  charter  was  unconstitutional.  So  when  the  bank  asked 
the  secretary  of  the  treasury  for  a  deposit  of  a  portion  of  the  govern- 
ment funds,  the  Democratic  leaders  had  so  poisoned  the  minds  of  the 
treasury  officials  at  Washington,  that  they  refused  to  favor  the  mana- 
ger of  the  bank  with  a  deposit. 

Just  at  this  time,  too,  it  will  be  remembered  that  Jackson  put  forth 
what  we  know  as  the  "Specie  Circular,"  which  was  an  order  that  re- 
ceivers at  the  land  offices  were  to  receive  no  more  state  bank  issues — 
only  gold  and  silver.  This  made  it  necessary  if  a  man  had  $200  in 
state  bank  issue,  and  wished  to  enter  160  acres  of  land,  that  he  should 
go  to  the  bank  and  present  this  paper  for  redemption,  and  with  the 
specie  he  could  enter  the  land.  And  when  the  receiver  at  the  public 
land  office  received  the  $200  in  specie,  he  was  not  allowed  to  deposit 
it  in  the  State  Bank  of  Illinois,  but  must  forward  it  to  some  state  bank 
that  was  in  good  standing.  This  worked,  as  a  recent  statesman  said,  in 
the  "endless  chain"  order.  The  specie  was  constantly  being  drawn 
from  the  bank  vaults. 

REDEMPTION  EXTENSION 

On  December  7,  1835,  the  legislature  met  in  special  session.  The 
law  which  provided  for  the  loan  of  $500,000  on  the  canal  could  not  be 
consummated.  So  at  this  extra  session  a  loan  of  five  hundred  thousand 
dollars  was  ordered  on  the  credit  of  the  state.  The  governor  at  this 


198  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

extra  session  recommended  that  the  state  take  the  remaining  one  million 
dollars  of  the  stock  in  the  State  Bank.  The  legislature  did  not  take 
kindly  to  this,  but  did  order  a  subscription  to  the  one  hundred  thousand 
dollars  of  stock  reserved  for  the  state  in  the  charter.  A  clause  in  the 
original  charter  provided  that  at  any  time  upon  presentation  of  its  issue 
by  holders  thereof,  the  bank  should  have  ten  days  in  which  to  redeem  it, 
but  at  this  special  session  the  time  was  lengthened  to  sixty  days. 

When  the  legislature  met  in  December,  1836,  the  makeup  of  the 
two  houses  was  not  different  from  that  of  the  previous  general  assem- 
bly, but  they  were  now  deeply  interested  in  what  appeared  to  be  the 
onward  movement  of  the  state.  The  capital  of  the  State  Bank  was  in- 
creased to  $3,500,000  and  that  of  the  Bank  of  Illinois  (the  bank  at 
Shawneetown)  was  increased  to  $1,700,000.  This  increase  in  capital 
amounted  to  $3,100,000,  all  of  which  was  taken  by  the  state.  It  was 
expected  that  part  of  this  stock  would  be  paid  for  out  of  the  surplus 
revenue  which  the  general  government  was  distributing  about  this  time. 
The  balance  was  to  be  paid  for  with  the  sale  of  state  bonds. 

The  whole  financial  interest  of  the  state  was  now  put  into  the  hands 
of  a  body  of  men  known  as  the  fund  commissioners.  These  fund  com- 
missioners were  authorized  to  subscribe,  on  behalf  of  the  state,  for  this 
increase  in  the  capital  stock  of  the  two  banks.  The  increase  amounted 
to  $3,100,000.  The  state  had  now  become  a  bona  fide  partner  in  the 
two  banks  and  owned  a  controlling  interest  in  each  of  them.  It  was 
expected  that  the  bonds  which  would  be  offered  for  sale,  the  proceeds 
of  which  were  pay  for  the  stock,  would  command  such  a  premium,  at 
least  ten  per  cent,  that  it  would  not  only  pay  the  interest  on  the  bonds 
the  first  year,  but  that  the  interest  fund  would  be  considerably  en- 
larged. Likewise  it  was  really  believed  that  the  profit  from  the  invest- 
ment of  over  three  millions  in  the  bank  would  add  greatly  to  the  inter- 
est fund. 

When  the  fund  commissioners  offered  the  bonds  on  the  market  they 
could  not  be  sold  at  a  premium  nor  at  par,  and  if  sold  at  all  they  must 
be  sold  at  a  discount.  Rather  than  have  our  own  bonds  go  on  the  mar- 
ket at  a  discount,  the  two  banks  agreed  to  take  $2,665,000  worth  of 
them. 

The  Shawneetown  bank,  called  the  Bank  of  Illinois,  effected  the  sale 
of  $900,000  worth  of  the  bonds,  but  the  $1,766,000  worth  taken  by  the 
State  Bank  could  not  be  disposed  of.  In  the  spring  of  1837  the  banks  of 
the  whole  country  began  to  suspend  specie  payment.  The  state  bank 
law  contained  a  clause  which  provided  that  its  charter  should  be  for- 
feited in  case  it  suspended  specie  payment  for  more  than  sixty  days 
at  any  one  time.  The  demands  for  specie  grew  and  the  situation  was 
getting  critical. 

SUSPENSION  OF  SPECIE  PAYMENTS 

The  State  Bank  had  now  become  so  closely  connected  with  the  inter- 
ests of  the  state,  it  being  the  depository  of  the  funds  of  the  gigantic 
internal  improvement  schemes,  that  the  state  must  maintain  it  at  all 
hazards.  If  the  bank  should  go  down  so  must  the  state's  great  enter- 
prises. In  this  critical  situation  the  fund  commissioners  appealed  to 
the  governor  to  call  an  extra  session  of  the  legislature  for  the  purpose 
of  legalizing  the  suspension  of  specie  payment.  The  governor  readily 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  199 

complied  with  their  request  and  on  the  10th  of  July,  1837,  the  legisla- 
ture convened  in  extra  session.  The  legislature  also  readily  complied 
with  the  demand  for  the  legalization  of  the  suspension  of  specie  pay- 
ment. The  governor  now  embraced  the  opportunity  to  appeal  to  the 
law  makers  to  repeal  the  legislation  which  was  driving  the  state  to 
financial  ruin,  but  all  in  vain ;  the  legislature  had  set  itself  to  the  task 
of  putting  Illinois  in  the  front  rank  in  the  matter  of  its  internal  im- 
provements. "It  was  plain  that  nothing  could  be  done  to  arrest  the 
evil  for  two  years  more.  In  the  meantime  all  considerate  persons  hoped 
the  public  insanity  would  subside,  that  the  people  would  wake  to  re- 
flection and  see  the  absurdity  of  the  public  policy." 

It  was  now  necessary  that  the  bank  should  go  into  politics.  Self- 
preservation  was  justification.  In  national  politics  the  Jackson  Demo- 
crats had  persistently  opposed  the  U.  S.  Bank  and  favored  the  State 
Bank.  The  Whigs,  or  those  anti-Jackson  Democrats  who  eventually 
made  up  the  Whig  party,  favored  the  U.  S.  Bank  and  opposed  the  State 
Bank.  But  in  Illinois  the  rule  seemed  to  work  the  other  way,  for  the 
anti-Jackson  people  or  the  Whigs  favored  the  State  Bank,  while  the 
Democrats  or  Jackson  people  were  bitterly  opposed  to  it.  It  was  there- 
fore quite  natural  for  the  bank  to  take  such  part  in  the  legislation  as 
would  result  in  advantage  to  itself.  Not  only  was  the  bank  involved  in 
politics  but  its  life  seemed  to  depend  upon  continuing  the  far  reaching 
projects  for  internal  improvements. 

It  is  very  difficult  to  trace  the  bank  from  1837  to  its  downfall  on 
account  of  its  intricate  relationship  with  the  internal  improvement 
schemes.  However,  in  a  session  of  the  legislature,  which  met  in  Decem- 
ber, 1838,  a  law  was  passed  which  legalized  the  suspension  of  specie  pay- 
ment till  the  end  of  the  next  regular  or  special  session  of  the  legislature. 
The  next  session  was  a  special  session  called  just  before  the  constitu- 
tional time  for  the  assembling  of  the  legislature  in  regular  session.  In. 
this  special  as  well  as  in  the  regular  session  which  followed  there  was  a 
very  bitter  fight  on  the  State  Bank.  The  enemies  of  the  bank  knew  that 
if  the  law  permitting  suspension  were  not  extended  that  the  charter  of 
the  bank  would  be  annulled  since  they  knew  the  bank  was  not  able  to 
redeem  its  issue  as  fast  as  presented.  If  a  sine  die  adjournment  be 
taken  at  end  of  special  session,  then  the  charter  would  be  annulled,  but 
if  they  took  a  recess  and  began  the  regular  session  the  friends  might 
succeed  in  tiding  it  over.  Those  in  favor  of  the  sine  die  adjournment 
seemed  to  be  in  the  majority,  and  to  break  a  quorum  the  members  who 
were  against  that  kind  of  adjournment  made  a  break  for  liberty  by 
jumping  through  the  windows,  the  door  having  been  locked.  This  inci- 
dent occurred  while  the  sessions  were  being  held  in  the  old  Presbyterian 
church  in  Springfield,  the  capital  having  been  removed  to  that  city, 
and  the  new  capitol  building  not  being  ready  for  occupancy.  Enough 
of  the  Whigs  were  prevented  from  escaping  by  the  opponents  of  the 
bank  and  a  sine  die  adjournment  was  taken. 

Notwithstanding  this  apparent  victory  of  the  enemies  of  the  bank, 
in  the  regular  session  beginning  December,  1840,  the  bank  won  the 
good  will  of  the  majority  and  considerable  legislation  was  passed  which 
favored  it. 


200  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

STATE  BANK  IN  LIQUIDATION 

In  1843  the  legislature  passed  a  law  ' '  to  diminish  the  state  debt  and 
put  the  State  Bank  into  liquidation.".  The  bank  was  given  four  years 
to  wind  up  its  business.  Now  the  State  Bank  held  $2,000,000  worth  of 
bonds  and  other  forms  of  state  indebtedness,  while  the  state  held  $2,- 
000,000  of  stock  in  the  State  Bank. 

This  law  to  "diminish  the  state  debt,  etc.,"  provided  that  the  bank 
should  turn  over  to  the  governor  the  bonds,  scrip,  etc.,  to  the  amount 
of  $2,050,000,  while  the  governor  was  to  deliver  to  the  bank  an  equal 
amount  of  bank  stock.  This  still  left  the  state  with  $50,000  worth  of 
bank  stock.  A  similar  law  provided  for  the  cancellation  of  $1,000,000 
worth  of  state  bonds  held  by  the  Shawneetown  bank  by  surrendering 
$1,000,000  worth  of  stock  in  that  bank.  Thus  the  state  reduced  its 
indebtedness  to  the  extent  of  $3,050,000. 

Much  of  the  history  of  the  banking  business  in  Illinois  cannot  be 
condensed  into  a  single  volume  history  of  our  state,  and  we  must  con- 
tent ourselves  with  the  foregoing  facts  which  give  the  general  features 
of  a  very  unfortunate  system  of  financiering. 

INTERNAL  IMPROVEMENTS 

In  subjects  so  organically  connected  with  the  whole  life  of  the  people 
as  roads,  bridges,  railroads,  canals,  and  banks,  it  is  extremely  difficult 
to  find  the  origin  of  any  one  of  them.  The  fact  is  there  is  no  formal  be- 
ginning. Roads  and  trails  were  the  earliest  care  of  the  permanent  set- 
tlers. Fords,  ferries,  and  bridges  were  provided  at  a  very  early  date. 
But  it  is  probably  due  to  Governor  Reynolds  -to  say  that  he  is  to  be 
given  credit  for  first  calling  the  attention  of  the  legislature  to  the  need 
of  internal  improvement.  Governor  Reynolds,  in  his  inaugural  mes- 
sage, transmitted  to  the  general  assembly  in  December,  1830,  had  this 
to  say  on  the  general  subject  of  internal  improvement: 

"The  internal  improvement  of  the  country  demands,  and  will  re- 
ceive your  particular  attention.  There  cannot  be  an  appropriation  of 
money  within  the  exercise  of  your  legislative  power,  that  will  be  more 
richly  paid  to  the  citizen,  than  that  for  the  improvement  of  the  coun- 
try." 

RECOMMENDATIONS 

Governor  Reynolds  was  clearly  of  opinion  that  the  general  govern- 
ment ought  to  carry  on  a  system  of  national  improvements,  but  he  was 
as  clearly  of  opinion  that  there  were  certain  local  improvements  that 
ought  to  be  fostered  by  the  state.  He  urged  attention  to  the  report  of 
the  canal  commissioners  and  hoped  that  the  attention  of  congress  might 
be  directed  to  the  national  importance  of  the  enterprise.  "The  im- 
provement of  the  navigation  of  the  rivers  adjoining  and  within  this 
state,  will  be  the  subject  of  your  serious  consideration.  Those  improve- 
ments which  are  local  to  our  state  will  receive  your  fostering  care,  so 
far  as  our  means  will  justify  without  embarrassment  to  our  people. 
The  general  good  of  the  present  and  future  population  seems  to  require 
the  permanent  establishment  of  three  public  roads  in  this  state  extend- 
ing from  its  southern  to  its  northern  limits.  (1)  One  to  commence  on 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  201 

the  Ohio  river  near  its  junction  with  the  Mississippi,  and  extending 
north,  on  the  western  side  of  the  state,  by  the  principal  towns  on  the 
most  direct  route  to  Galena.  (2)  Another  to  commence  at  Shawnee- 
town  passing  north,  through  the  center  of  the  state,  to  accommodate  the 
present  and  future  population,  to  the  lead  mines.  (3)  And  one  other, 
to  commence  on  the  Wabash  river,  near  its  confluence  with  the  Ohio, 
passing  through  the  principal  towns  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  state  by 
Danville  to  Chicago,  and  thence  to  the  lead  mines. ' ' 

Governor  Reynolds  believed  the  general  government  might  be  in- 
duced to  construct  them  and  that  then  the  counties  might  be  required 
to  keep  them  in  repair.  His  idea  was  that  a  good  road  passing  through 
an  undeveloped  region  would  be  a  very  potent  factor  in  the  develop- 
ment of  such  a  section.  He  specially  called  attention  to  the  road  lead- 
ing from  Vincennes  through  the  state  to  St.  Louis,  saying  it  was  much 
travelled. 

A  careful  study  of  the  above  modest  recommendation  and  simple 
suggestions  will  prepare  us  to  some  extent  to  begin  a  thorough  study 
of  "Internal  Improvement"  as  it  was  known  in  later  years. 

Governor  Duncan  was  inaugurated  in  December,  1834.  The  effects 
of  the  Black  Hawk  war  were  disappearing  and  population  was  moving 
rapidly  into  the  northern  counties.  Governor  Duncan  was  specially 
interested  in  a  public  school  system,  in  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  canal, 
and  in  a  system  of  internal  improvement.  No  action  on  this  last  sug- 
gestion was  taken  by  the  legislature  of  1834-5.  The  second  session  of 
this  general  assembly  convened  in  December,  1835,  and  to  this  special 
session  Governor  Duncan  sent  his  message.  In  it  he  says  there  is  a 
very  general  demand  for  other  internal  improvements  besides  the 
canal.  "When  we  look  abroad  and  see  the  extensive  lines  of  inter-com- 
munication penetrating  almost  every  section  of  our  western  states, 
when  we  see  the  canal  boat  and  locomotive  bearing,  with  seeming  tri- 
umph, the  rich  productions  of  the  interior  to  the  rivers,  lakes  and  ocean, 
almost  annihilating  time,  burthep,  and  space,  what  patriotic  bosom  does 
not  beat  high  with  a  laudable  ambition  to  give  Illinois  her  full  share  of 
those  advantages  which  are  adorning  her  sister  states  and  which  her 
magnificent  providence  seems  to  invite  by  the  wonderful  adaptation  of 
the  whole  country  to  such  improvements."  And  then,  as  if  fearful 
that  this  oratory  would  overcome  their  conservatism,  he  adds:  "While 
I  would  urge  the  most  liberal  support  of  all  such  measures  as  tending 
with  perfect  certainty  to  increase  the  wealth  and  prosperity  of  the 
state,  I  would  at  the  same  time  most  respectfully  suggest  the  propriety  of 
leaving  the  construction  of  all  such  works  wherein  it  can  be  done  con- 
sistently with  the  general  interest,  to  individual  enterprise. ' '  This  was 
indeed  wholesome  advice  and  had  it  been  taken  the  state  would  have 
greatly  profited  thereby.  But  internal  improvement  was  in  the  air. 
The  subject  was  receiving  unusual  interest  in  Ohio,  Pennsylvania, 
New  York  and  Maryland.  In  1835  there  were  twenty-two  railroads  in 
operation  in  the  United  States,  two  of  which  were  west  of  the  Alle- 
ghanies.  In  addition  there  were  several  canals,  beside  the  great  Erie 
canal. 

The  members  of  the  legislature  were  not  yet  converted  to  the  theory 
of  state  ownership  of  public  utilities,  and  so  they  did  no  more  than  to 
charter  a  great  number  of  railroads,  but  they  did  come  to  the  relief  of 
the  canal  and  ordered  the  issue  of  half  a  million  dollars  worth  of  bonds 


202  HISTOKY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

on  the  credit  of  the  state  for  the  purpose  of  furthering  this  enterprise. 
The  message  of  the  governor  seems  later  to  have  awakened  great  inter- 
est in  internal  improvement. 

The  city  of  Chicago  was  now  growing  with  amazing  rapidity.  The 
lots  which  were  a  part  of  the  capital  of  the  canal  project  were  bring- 
ing big  prices  and  selling  freely.  The  state  was  taking  on  the  same 
spirit  of  enterprise.  Towns  and  cities  were  laid  off  and  the  lots  sold 
at  auction  for  extravagant  prices.  Five  million  dollars  worth  of  land 
was  sold  in  the  year  1836.  This  meant  increased  immigration  and  an 
abundant  inflow  of  money  into  the  state.  All  the  people  were  full  of 
the  idea  of  a  great  expansion  of  population,  business,  and  wealth.  All 
through  the  summer  of  1836,  there  were  all  sorts  of  stories  afloat  in 
the  air  of  what  was  just  ahead,  and  to  keep  pace  with  this  the  need 
and  advantages  of  a  system  of  internal  improvement  were  discussed 
everywhere. 

It  was  argued  that  Illinois  is  unsurpassed  in  fertility  of  soil,  in  va- 
riety of  climate,  and  agricultural  products;  timber  was  plentiful,  all 
that  was  needed  was  distribution.  Her  situation  relative  to  the  Lakes 
and  the  Mississippi  was  superior  to  that  of  any  other  state  west  of  the 
Alleghanies.  All  that  was  needed  was  more  people  and  more  enter- 
prises. Public  meetings  were  held  in  which  all  these  facts  were  dis- 
cussed. 

A  move  was  eventually  set  on  foot  for  a  state  convention  which  was 
appointed  to  meet  in  Vandalia  at  the  time  of  the  meeting  of  the  legisla- 
ture early  in  December,  1836.  Delegates  were  appointed  from  the  sev- 
eral counties  and  much  interest  was  manifested. 

A  new  legislature  was  also  to  be  elected  in  August,  1836,  and  as 
the  candidates  for  the  legislature  went  about  among  the  people  or 
spoke  from  public  platforms,  the  subject  of  internal  improvement  was 
more  or  less  discussed.  Another  matter  which  added  fuel  to  the  flames 
already  started  was  the  beginning  of  the  work  on  the  Illinois  and 
Michigan  Canal.  On  July  4,  1836,  the  first  ground  was  broken  in  Chi- 
cago on  this  famous  waterway.  The  event  was  accompanied  by  a  public 
celebration  in  Chicago.  The  Hon.  Theophilus  W.  Smith,  a  former  canal 
commissioner,  read  the  Declaration  of  Independence ;  and  Dr.  William 
B.  Egan  delivered  an  able  and  appropriate  address  on  the  occasion. 

Ford  in  his  history  of  Illinois,  says,  however,  that  the  great  mass  of 
the  people  and  more  particularly  those  who  resided  in  the  country  were 
not  in  the  whirl  of  excitement.  It  was  chiefly  in  the  towns  that  the 
people  were  wrought  up. 

The  legislature  met  the  first  part  of  December,  and  at  the  same  time 
the  convention  to  consider  internal  improvements  assembled  at  Van- 
dalia. The  make-up  of  the  legislature  was  quite  remarkable.  Among 
those  elected  to  this  general  assembly,  one  became  president,  one  a  de- 
feated candidate  for  the  same  office,  six  became  United  States  senators, 
eight  congressmen,  three  state  supreme  judges,  and  still  others  reached 
high  state  and  national  positions.  Many  members  of  the  legislature 
took  part  in  the  deliberations  of  the  internal  improvement  convention. 
This  convention  soon  finished  its  business  and  adjourned.  The  result 
of  its  deliberations  were,  first,  a  bill  which  it  was  expected  some  friend 
would  introduce  into  the  legislature ;  and  second,  a  memorial  or  plea 
setting  forth  the  advantages,  costs,  incomes,  etc.,  of  this  improvement 
venture.  In  addition,  the  convention  selected  a  lobbying  committee  that 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  203 

should  remain  in  Vandalia  during  the  session  and  see  that  timid  mem- 
bers did  not  fail  to  do  their  duty. 

The  governor's  message  was  a  conservative  document  for  such  times. 
He  was  heartily  in  favor  of  the  idea  of  internal  improvements,  but  was 
quite  doubtful  as  to  the  advisability  of  the  state's  undertaking  the  en- 
tire financial  obligation.  He  was  willing  that  the  state  should  assume 
a  third  or  a  half  of  the  responsibility  but  was  not  favorable  to  the  as- 
sumption of  the  whole  burden  by  the  state. 

After  the  session  was  fairly  open,  the  bill  prepared  by  the  conven- 
tion and  the  accompanying  memorial  were  presented  to  the  house.  Reso- 
lutions were  introduced  by  Stephen  A.  Douglas  favoring  state  owner- 
ship. The  subject  was  referred  to  the  committee  on  internal  improve- 
ment, the  chairman  ,of  which  was  Edward  Smith,  of  Wabash  county. 

BILL  PASSED  OVER  GOVERNOR'S  VETO 

The  bill  which  had  been  kindly  prepared  by  the  convention  and  pre- 
sented to  the  legislature  for  its  endorsement  and  modification  by  the 
house,  provided  for  the  following  internal  improvements,  and  set  aside 
the  amounts  opposite  for  the  carrying  out  of  the  same : 

Improvement  of  the  Wabash,  the  Illinois,  Rock  river,  Kas- 

kaskia,  and  Little  Wabash,  and  Western  Mail  Route $  400,000 

Railroad,  Vincennes  to  St.  Louis 250,000 

Railroad,   Cairo  to  Galena 3,500,000 

Railroad,  Alton  to  Mt.  Carmel 1,600,000 

Railroad,  Quincy  to  Indiana  line 1,800,000 

Railroad,  Shelbyville  to  Terre  Haute 650,000 

Railroad,   Peoria  to   Warsaw 700,000 

Railroad,  Alton  to  Central  Railroad 600,000 

Railroad,  Belleville  to   Mt.   Carmel 150,000 

Railroad,   Bloomington   to   Pekin 350,000 

To   pacify   disappointed   counties 200,000 


Total $10,200.000 

This  bill  which  provided  for  the  construction  of  so  many  railroads, 
was  sent  to  the  governor,  who,  together  with  the  council  of  revision, 
vetoed  the  measure.  But  when  it  came  back  to  the  general  assembly  it 
was  speedily  passed  over  the  veto.  This  bill  which  looked  to  the  bur- 
dening of  the  state  to  the  amount  of  over  ten  millions  of  dollars  was  not 
the  only  measure  of  importance  before  the  legislature.  There  were  at 
least  three  other  important  matters  that  must  be  considered.  They 
were,  a  bill  to  increase  the  capital  stock  of  the  state  bank  $2,000,000, 
and  that  of  the  Shawneetown  bank  $1,400,000 ;  a  proposition  to  re-locate 
the  state  capital ;  and  also  a  proposition  to  enlarge  the  issue  of  bonds 
for  the  completion  of  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  canal.  These  four 
measures  were  fraught  with  grave  consequences  to  the  future  of  the 
state. 

CAPITAL  REMOVED  TO  SPRINGFIELD 

It  can  be  readily  seen  that  in  this  session  of  the  legislature  there 
will  be  conflict  of  interest,  and  it  will  only  be  by  considerable  amount 
of  "swapping"  of  votes  that  the  several  measures  can  be  carried.  For 


204  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

instance,  the  delegation  from  Sangamon  county  consisted  of  nine  men, 
two  in  the  senate  and  seven  in  the  house.  They  had  been  instructed  to 
vote  for  internal  improvement,  but  more  especially  to  secure  the  removal 
of  the  state  capital,  and  to  secure  its  location  in  Springfield.  This  lat- 
ter problem  had  been  intrusted  to  Lincoln,  who,  it  seems  performed 
his  task  with  eminent  success.  When  the  vote  was  finally  reached 
Springfield,  Jacksonville,  Vandalia,  Peoria,  Alton,  Illiopolis,  besides 
smaller  towns,  were  candidates  for  the  honor.  Four  ballots  were  taken 
before  the  selection  was  finally  made. 

Springfield  was  selected  and  every  one  recognized  the  fine  hand  of 
Abraham  Lincoln  in  the  result.  In  a  later  session  of  the  legislature 
charges  were  informally  preferred  against  the  "Long  Nine"  who,  it 
was  claimed,  had  secured  the  removal  of  the  capital  to  Springfield 
through  corrupt  means.  But  probably  nothing  worse  was  done  than  to 


THE  FIRST  STATE  HOUSE,  SPRINGFIELD.    Now  COURTHOUSE  OP 
SANGAMON  COUNTY 

"swap"  votes  with  some  of  the  members  who  were  not  getting  out  of 
the  internal  improvement  scheme  as  much  as  they  thought  they  ought 
to  have.  The  names  of  the  group  of  men  known  as  the  "Long  Nine," 
were  A.  G.  Herndon  and  Job  Fletcher,  in  the  senate ;  in  the  house, 
Abraham  Lincoln,  Ninian  W.  Edwards,  John  Dawson,  Andrew  McCor- 
mick,  Dan  Stone,  William  F.  Elkins,  and  Robert  L.  Wilson.  Their  total 
height  was  fifty-four  feet  averaging  exactly  six  feet  each. 

We  have  digressed  from  the  improvement  scheme  in  order  to  call 
attention  to  the  removal  of  the  capital;  and  now  let  us  return  to  the 
main  subject.  The  improvement  bill  as  reported,  amended,  and  passed, 
contemplated  the  expenditure  of  considerably  more  than  $10,000,000. 

This  money  was  to  be  raised  by  issuing  bonds  which  it  was  confi- 
dently expected  would  sell  at  a  handsome  premium.  General  Linder, 
who,  in  later  years,  wrote  reminiscences  of  this  period,  says:  "The  en- 
thusiastic friends  of  the  measure  maintained  that,  instead  of  there 
being  any  difficulty  in  obtaining  a  loan  of  fifteen  or  twenty  millions 
authorized  to  be  borrowed,  our  bonds  would  go  like  hot  cakes  and  be 
sought  after  by  the  Rothschilds  and  Baring  brothers,  and  others  of 
that  stamp ;  and  that  the  premiums  which  we  should  obtain  from  them 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  205 

would  range  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  per  cent  and  that  the  premium 
itself  would  be  sufficient  to  construct  most  of  the  important  works, 
leaving  the  principal  sum  to  go  into  our  treasury  and  leave  the  people 
free  from  taxation  for  ages  to  come." 

ALSO  PASSED  OVER  COUNCIL'S  VETO 

When  this  bill  for  internal  improvement  reached  the  council  of 
revision,  it  was  promptly  disapproved  and  the  bill  was  returned  to  the 
house.  The  council  stated  that  "such  works  can  only  be  made  safely 
and  economically  in  a  free  government,  by  citizens  or  by  independent 
corporations,  aided  or  authorized  by  the  government."  But  the  bill 
rejected  by  the  council  of  revision  was  passed  by  both  houses  of  the  leg- 
islature and  there  was  nothing  left  for  the  governor  to  do  but  to  carry 
it  into  effect  according  to  its  own  provision. 

The  act  provided  for  the  appointment  of  a  board  of  three  fund 
commissioners,  who  should  negotiate  all  loans,  sign  and  deliver  bonds, 
and  have  charge  of  all  moneys  which  should  be  received  therefor.  They 
should  also  pay  out  this  money  upon  the  proper  orders.  The  law  pro- 
vided that  these  fund  commissioners  should  be  "practical  and  experi- 
enced financiers. ' '  The  three  men  selected  by  the  legislature  to  fill  these 
responsible  places  were  Charles  Oakley,  M.  M.  Rawlings,  and  Thomas 
Mather.  There  was  another  board  created,  known  as  the  board  of  pub- 
lic works,  consisting  of  seven  members,  one  from  each  judicial  district. 
It  was  the  duty  of  this  board  to  locate,  superintend,  and  construct  all 
public  works  except  the  canal  which  was  in  the  hands  of  a  commission 
of  three.  The  first  board  of  public  works  consisted  of  Murray  McCon- 
nell,  William  Kinney,  Elijah  Willard,  Milton  K.  Alexander,  Joel 
Wright,  James  W.  Stephenson,  and  Ebenezer  Peck. 

In  the  summer  of  1837  the  fund  commissioners  went  to  their  task  of 
issuing  bonds  and  offering  them  for  sale.  With  the  help  of  the  old 
United  States  Bank,  which  was  at  that  time  winding  up  its  business, 
they  were  able  to  place  a  considerable  quantity  of  the  bonds  at  par. 
This  money  was  now  at  the  disposal  of  the  board  of  public  works  and 
the  improvements  were  begun  in  many  places.  This  was  the  beginning 
of  a  very  flourishing  period. 

Money  became  plentiful,  work  was  abundant,  and  hopes  were  high. 
Just  at  this  time  the  financial  crash  which  followed  Jackson's  term  of 
office,  was  coming  on  and  the  fund  commissioners  were  not  able  to  place 
any  more  bonds  in  this  country  at  par,  and  in  London  they  could  only 
be  placed  at  nine  per  cent  discount.  It  is  said  that  this  coming  finan- 
cial crash  was  hopefully  looked  to  by  the  opponents  of  the  internal  im- 
provement plan  as  a  means  of  stopping  the  wild  schemes  of  the  "sys- 
tem. ' '  But  in  spite  of  the  hard  times  which  were  approaching  the  fund 
commissioners  secured  cash  to  the  amount  of  $5,668,000  by  December, 
1838. 

The  legislature  that  had  projected  these  vast  schemes  of  improve- 
ment had  hardly  adjourned  in  the  early  summer  of  1837  when  the  mem- 
bers were  called  in  extra  session  to  legalize  the  suspension  of  specie 
payment  by  the  State  Bank.  At  the  opening  of  this  special  session 
which  met  July  10,  1837,  the  governor  in  his  message  very  earnestly 
recommended  the  repeal  of  the  internal  improvement  legislation  which 
had  just  passed  at  the  previous  sitting  of  the  legislature.  He  said  that 


206  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

the  disasters  which  had  already  fallen  upon  the  commercial  world  sug- 
gested the  necessity  of  escaping  from  the  perils  of  a  system  which  could 
only  be  fraught  with  evil.  But  the  legislature  paid  no  heed  to  this 
wholesome  advice.  All  through  the  year  1837-8  the  fund  commissioners 
were  busy  negotiating  loans. 


CHAPTER  XIX 
MARTYRDOM  OP  LOVEJOY 

SLAVERY  IN  STATE  AND  NATIONAL  POLITICS — AGITATION  BY  ABOLITION- 
ISTS AND  NEWSPAPERS — A  MORAL  HERO — LOVEJOY  BECOMES  AN  EDI- 
TOR— CONSTITUTIONAL  RIGHT — "OBSERVER"  MOVED  TO  ALTON — MOB 
DESTROYS  PRESSES — LOVEJOY  A  MARTYR 

A  very  large  share  of  the  history  of  Illinois  is  inseparably  con- 
nected with  the  subject  of  slavery.  It  has  already  been  shown  that 
slavery  existed  in  what  is  now  the  state  of  Illinois,  since  the  coming 
of  Phillip  Renault  in  1719.  The  French  slaves  were  the  negroes  and 
mulattoes  whose  ancestors  were  those  Guinea  negroes  brought  from 
the  West  Indies,  by  Renault  in  the  above  mentioned  year.  In  the 
latter  part  of  the  eighteenth  century  and  the  first  part  of  the  nine- 
teenth, slavery  existed  in  Illinois,  by  what  was  known  as  the 
indenture  laws. 

SLAVERY  IN  STATE  AND  NATIONAL  POLITICS 

In  1818  in  the  constitutional  convention,  slavery  was  a  subject 
which  engaged  the  most  earnest  and  thoughtful  attention  of  the  dele- 
gates. In  1820-3  the  Missouri  Compromise,  although  a  national  mat- 
ter, came  close  to  the  political  life  of  Illinois.  The  senators  in  con- 
gress from  Illinois  did  all  they  could  to  further  the  interests  of  slavery 
in  that  great  contest.  From  1820  to  1824  the  state  was  a  seething 
cauldron  of  bitterness  and  strife  over  the  question  of  introducing 
slavery  into  Illinois  by  constitutional  enactment.  Locally,  the  slavery 
question  was  not  prominent  in  Illinois  for  several  years  after  the 
great  convention  struggle  in  1824.  But  from  1830  to  1840  the  sub- 
ject was  constantly  before  the  national  congress  and  the  public  mind 
was  greatly  agitated  by  the  discussions  in  and  out  of  the  halls  of 
national  legislation. 

It  has  been  said  that  the  Missouri  Compromise  greatly  pacified  the 
public  mind  on  the  slavery  question.  It  may  have  done  so  for  a  short 
space  of  time,  but  the  pacification  was  in  no  sense  a  permanent  one. 
In  fact  public  sentiment  in  neither  north  nor  south  was  crystallized 
as  early  as  1830.  In  the  year  1826,  it  is  said  more  than  a  hundred 
anti-slavery  societies  existed  in  the  slave  states,  and  this  number  is 
said  to  have  been  three  times  as  many  as  existed  in  the  north. 

The  agitation  of  the  slavery  question  by  such  publications  as  those 
by  Lundy,  Birney,  and  Garrison,  resulted  in  the  formation  of  the  Na- 
tional Anti-Slavery  Society  in  Philadelphia  in  1833.  This  society  be- 

207 


208  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

gan  an  active  campaign  for  the  abolition  of  slavery.  They  sent 
pamphlets,  hand  bills,  and  newspapers  broadcast  into  slave  territory. 
This  greatly  incensed  the  slave  holders  and  their  friends.  In  New 
York  the  postmaster  took  from  the  mail,  anti-slavery  matter  and  de- 
stroyed it.  So  also  did  the  postmaster  at  Charleston,  South  Carolina. 
This  conduct  was  reported  to  the  postmaster  general,  Amos  Kendall, 
and  he  approved  of  this  open  violation  of  the  law.  Andrew  Jackson, 
in  his  message  to  congress,  asked  that  congress  might  pass  a  law 
which  would  prevent  the  passage  "through  the  mails  of  incendiary 
publications  intended  to  instigate  the  slaves  to  insurrection."  Anti- 
slavery  meetings  were  broken  up  in  many  northern  cities  by  those 
who  bitterly  opposed  any  agitation  of  the  abolition  question. 

Earnest  appeals  from  the  south  came  to  the  north  to  suppress  the 
abolitionists.  But  those  in  authority  could  do  no  more  than  to  stand 
by  the  first  amendment  to  the  Constitution  which  says,  "Congress 
shall  make  no  law — abridging  the  freedom  of  speech  or  of  the  press." 
Public  assemblies  and  free  speech  are  thus  guaranteed  and  no  legis- 
lation can  in  any  way  abridge  them.  From  these  anti-slavery  societies 
and  other  organizations  there  poured  into  congress  hundreds  of  peti- 
tions praying  for  some  legislation  looking  to  the  relief  of  the  slave. 
All  means  which  the  friends  of  slavery  in  the  north  had  tried  in  the 
early  days  of  the  conflict  to  check  the  growing  anti-slavery  sentiment, 
had  failed.  They  thought  there  was  at  least  one  means  which  would 
annihilate  the  abolitionists.  This  last  resort  was  violence.  "Violence 
was  the  essential  element  in  slavery — violence  was  the  law  of  its  be- 
ing."  This  violence  was  directed  against  individuals,  assemblies  and 
the  press. 

There  was  a  lack  of  unity,  as  to  the  means  existing  among  the 
anti-slavery  people  of  the  north,  and  men  upon  whose  souls  lay  the 
great  burden  which  the  nation  itself  ought  to  have  cheerfully  lifted, 
were  in  no  sense  fully  agreed  upon  the  final  end  and  aim  of  their 
struggle.  "It  was  fashionable  to  stigmatize  them  as  ultra  pragmatic, 
and  angular,  and  to  hold  up  their  differences  and  divisions  as  a  foil 
and  shield  against  the  arguments  and  appeals.  Thousands  consoled 
and  defended  themselves  in  their  inaction  because  anti-slavery  men 
were  not  agreed  among  themselves."  But  while  there  was  a  lack  of 
unity  in  method,  there  was  at  least  a  line  of  cleavage  which  separated 
the  anti-slavery  people  into  two  great  classes.  In  one  class  were  those 
who  believed  that  the  end  whatever  it  might  be  was  to  be  reached 
through  constitutional  legislation.  These  men  might  be  called  con- 
servatives. They  were  fully  persuaded  that  their  friends  in  the  other 
class  were  not  safe  in  their  counsel.  These  men  were  found  in  the 
two  parties  then  recognized  or  soon  to  be  recognized — the  Whig  and 
the  Democratic.  They  hoped  to  reach  the  end  they  cherished  by 
faithful  effort  within  their  respective  political  party  organizations. 
This  class  of  public  men  who  held  to  the  idea  of  political  action  as 
the  cure  for  the  ills  of  slavery  eventually  made  up  the  "Liberty 
Party." 

AGITATION  BY  ABOLITIONISTS  AND  NEWSPAPERS 

In  the  other  classes  were  those  men  who  were  not  willing  to  wait 
for  the  long  deferred  day  when  the  curse  of  slavery  should  be  de- 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  209 

stroyed  by  the  slow  process  of  legislation.  For  they  knew  that  any 
legislation  not  the  outgrowth  of  public  sentiment  would  be  a  dead 
letter  upon  the  statute  books.  Legislation  must  follow  public  senti- 
ment, not  create  it.  And  to  the  men  of  the  Garrison  cast  there  was 
no  sign  of  the  growth  of  a  sentiment  in  the  south,  by  1835  or  there- 
abouts, that  had  any  ray  of  hope  as  to  the  final  extinction  of  slavery. 
The  fact  was  that  by  1835  the  public  men  of  the  south  who  had  for- 
merly favored  some  form  of  abolition  were  now  bitterly  opposed  to 
any  effort  along  that  line.  This  restless  class  was  known  as  the  ' '  Gar- 
rison Abolitionists."  They  were  the  radicals.  Their  fundamental 
doctrines  were  "no  union  with  slave  holders,"  and  "the  United  States 
Constitution  is  a  covenant  with  death  and  an  agreement  with  hell!" 
There  never  was  any  doubt  as  to  the  sincerity  of  purpose  of  these 
"Garrison  Abolitionists."  Nor  must  we  imagine  that  they  were 
fanatics.  They  were  men  of  great  power  and  consecration.  They 
belonged  to  that  class  to  whom  the  world  pays  homage.  They  are  the 
men  for  whom  we  erect  monuments.  They  are  the  men  and  women 
whose  birthplaces  we  search  out  and  whose  homes,  though  humble, 
we  mark  with  tablets  of  bronze  and  marble.  They  are  they  whose 
lives  are  a  benediction  and  whose  death  is  a  national  calamity.  True 
these  men  were  iconoclasts,  they  were  revolutionists,  they  would  not 
be  limited  by  any  law  constitutional  or  legislative  which  was  antago- 
nistic to  the  law  of  conscience.  They  openly  preached  disunion.  They 
did  not  hesitate  to  state  their  "unalterable  purpose  and  determina- 
tion to  live  and  labor  for  the  dissolution  of  the  present  union  by  all 
lawful  and  just,  though  bloodless  and  pacific  means,  and  for  the  for- 
mation of  a  new  republic,  that  shall  be  such  not  in  name  only,  but  in 
full  living  reality  and  truth." 

Believing  in  free  speech  and  in  a  free  press,  they  made  use  of  both 
to  spread  their  ideas  and  win  many  to  their  cause.  True,  in  those  days 
the  newspaper  was  an  infant  compared  with  the  great  newspapers  of 
today.  Not  only  were  the  papers  small  in  size,  but  their  influence  was 
very  much  limited  by  the  very  small  numbers  reached  by  their  circula- 
tion. All  the  papers  which  plead  the  cause  of  the  ' '  Garrison  Abolition- 
ists" were  poorly  supported  financially. 

Among  these  newspapers  the  reading  public  is  quite  familiar  with 
Lundy's  Genius  of  Universal  Emancipation,  Garrison's  Liberator,  The 
Philanthropist,  the  Emancipator,  and  the  Alton  Observer. 

The  spirit  of  violence  above  referred  to  which  Mr.  Henry  Wilson  in 
his  "Rise  and  Fall  of  the  Slave  Power  in  America,"  calls  the  funda- 
mental idea  in  slavery,  began  now  to  spend  its  fury  on  these  news- 
papers, presses,  and  their  editors.  We  are  now  in  a  position  to  under- 
stand the  life-work  and  the  martyrdom  of  the  editor  of  the  Alton  Ob- 
server. 

A  MORAL  HERO 

Elijah  Parish  Lovejoy  was  born  in  Albion,  Kennebec  county,  Maine, 
November  8,  1802.  He  was  the  oldest  of  a  family  of  nine,  seven  sons 
and  two  daughters.  His  father,  the  Rev.  Daniel  Lovejoy,  was  a  Congre- 
gational minister,  and  his  mother  was  a  Miss  Elizabeth  Pattee,  a  lady 
of  excellent  standing  in  that  section. 

There  is  nothing  to  record  of  this  young  New  England  scion  that 


210  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

may  not  be  said  of  another  Yankee  boy,  unless  it  may  be  that  he  was  un- 
usually precocious.  He  could  read  the  Bible  fluently  at  the  age  of  four 
years.  He  spent  his  early  years  on  the  farm,  and  all  the  time  that  could 
be  spared  from  the  work  was  diligently  applied  upon  his  books.  The  fact 
that  his  father  was  a  scholarly  gentleman  and  his  mother  a  lady  of  cult- 
ure explains  why  young  Lovejoy  made  very  rapid  progress  in  his  edu- 
cation. 

His  preparatory  courses  were  taken  in  two  academies  near  his  home, 
and  later  he  entered  Waterville  College.  From  this  institution  he  grad- 
uated with  the  honors  of  his  class  in  1826.  He  was  somewhat  given  to 
athletic  sports  and  was  greatly  admired  by  his  fellow  students,  for  his 
manly  bearing  and  his  gentlemanly  deportment.  While  in  college  he 
produced  quite  a  little  poetry  and  one  production  was  of  considerable 
merit,  the  ' '  Inspiration  of  the  Muse. ' '  In  later  years  while  in  St.  Louis 
he  penned  a  short  poem  which  was  published  in  the  St.  Louis  Times  of 
which  he  was  assistant  editor.  This  seems  to  prophesy  his  sad  taking 
off.  One  stanza  read  as  follows : 

My  Mother,  I  am  far  away 

Prom  home  and  love  and  thee, 
And  stranger  hands  may  heap  the  clay 

That  soon  may  cover  me. 

After  graduation  from  college  he  taught  school  in  his  native  state 
and  then  catching  the  fever  of  immigration,  he  left  his  home,  his  people, 
and  his  native  haunts  and  turned  his  course  westward  whence  were 
coming  such  thrilling  stories  of  adventures,  opportunity,  and  sacrifice. 
Whether  or  not  he  purposed  coming  to  the  growing  city  of  St.  Louis 
when  he  started  is  not  stated,  suffice  it  to  say  he  reached  that  place  in 
the  fall  of  1827.  He  engaged  in  the  business  of  teaching,  and  during 
his  leisure  hours  he  studied,  wrote  letters  back  to  his  home,  and  fur- 
nished articles  for  the  Missouri  Republican.  Some  time  in  1828  he  be- 
came connected  with  the  St.  Louis  Times  as  contributor  or  possibly  as 
staff  correspondent.  This  was  a  Whig  paper  and  supported  Henry 
Clay  for  the  presidency,  and  Mr.  Lovejoy  was  regarded  as  one  who  had 
vigorously  championed  the  cause  of  the  great  Whig  leader. 

In  the  great  revival  in  St.  Louis  in  the  winter  of  1831-2,  Mr.  Love- 
joy  united  with  the  Presbyterian  church  of  that  city,  the  pastor  at  that 
time  being  the  Rev.  Dr.  W.  S.  Potts.  Being  naturally  seriously  minded, 
he  felt  he  ought  to  give  his  life  to  the  ministry,  and  he  was  therefore 
more  easily  prevailed  upon  by  his  pastor  to  enter  the  theological  semi- 
nary at  Princeton,  New  Jersey,  in  the  spring  of  1832.  Here  he  re- 
mained one  year,  after  which  he  was  licensed  to  preach  by  the  Second 
Presbyterian  church  of  Philadelphia.  He  spent  the  summer  of  1832  in 
New  York  and  other  eastern  cities  and  in  the  fall  of  that  year  he  re- 
turned to  St.  Louis. 

LOVEJOY  BECOMES  AN  EDITOR 

Lovejoy  was  now  prevailed  upon  to  begin  the  publication  of  a 
weekly  religious  newspaper.  Friends  furnished  the  necessary  means, 
and  the  first  number  of  the  St.  Louis'  Observer  was  issued  November  22, 
1832.  The  editorial  and  business  management  of  the  paper  occupied 
his  time  quite  fully,  yet  he  found  time  to  preach  often  in  adjoining  lo- 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  211 

calities.  As  early  as  1834  he  began  to  discuss  editorially  the  subject 
of  slavery.  From  these  editorials  we  gather  that  he  was  not  an  aboli- 
tionist. In  one  issue  of  his  paper  he  says:  "Gradual  emancipation  is 
the  remedy  we  propose.  ...  In  the  meantime  the  rights  of  all 
classes  of  our  citizens  should  be  respected."  In  a  later  issue  he  pro- 
poses this  question:  "How  and  by  whom  is  emancipation  to  be  ef- 
fected ?  by  the  masters  themselves  and  no  others  can  effect  it ;  nor  is  it 
desirable  that  they  should  even  if  they  could.  Emancipation,  to  be  of 
any  value  to  the  slaves,  must  be  the  free,  voluntary  act  of  the  master, 
performed  from  a  conviction  of  its  propriety."  From  these  extracts  it 
would  not  appear  that  Lovejoy  was  a  writer  whose  pen  poisoned  the  ink 
into  which  he  dipped  it.  On  the  other  hand  it  seems  to  us  at  this  time 
that  such  expressions  were  very  mild,  to  say  the  least. 

But  these  expressions  were  distasteful  to  many  of  his  readers,  and 
to  many  more  they  evidently  appeared  ill-timed ;  for  on  October  5,  1835, 
nine  prominent  men,  among  whom  was  his  former  pastor,  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Potts,  presented  Lovejoy  a  written  statement  in  which  they  begged 
him  to  cease  the  slavery  agitation.  They  warned  him  that  many  threats 
of  violence  were  heard  and  they  greatly  feared  for  his  personal  safety 
and  for  that  of  his  property.  Lovejoy  appears  not  to  have  returned  a 
written  reply  to  this  letter,  but  he  seems  to  have  taken  pains  to  pre- 
serve it,  for  on  October  24,  1837,  more  than  two  years  later  and  just 
shortly  before  his  death,  he  endorsed  this  letter  as  follows:  "I  did  not 
yield  to  the  wishes  here  expressed,  and  in  consequence  have  been  per- 
secuted ever  since.  But  I  have  kept  a  good  conscience,  and  that  repays 
me  for  all  I  have  suffered,  or  can  suffer.  I  have  sworn  eternal  opposi- 
tion to  slavery,  and  by  the  blessings  of  God,  I  will  never  go  back." 

CONSTITUTIONAL  RIGHT 

While  it  is  probable  that  Lovejoy  did  not  formally  reply  to  his  nine 
friends,  in  an  issue  of  the  Observer  shortly  following  the  receipt  of  the 
admonition,  he  presented  his  views  on  the  question  of  slavery,  and 
claimed  protection  in  the  utterance  of  his  position  on  the  subject,  since 
the  constitution  of  Missouri  says:  "That  the  free  communication  of 
thoughts  and  opinions  is  one  of  the  invaluable  rights  of  man,  and  that 
every  person  may  freely  speak,  write,  and  print  on  any  subject — being 
responsible  for  the  abuse  of  that  liberty."  He  closed  this  appeal  to 
the  people  with  the  following  declaration : 

I  do,  therefore,  as  an  American  citizen  and  Christian  patriot,  and 
in  the  name  of  liberty,  law  and  religion,  solemnly  protest  against  all 
these  attempts,  howsoever  and  by  whomsoever  made,  to  frown  down 
the  liberty  of  the  press  and  forbid  the  free  expression  of  opinion.  Un- 
der a  deep  sense  of  obligation  to  my  country,  the  church,  and  my  God, 
I  declare  it  to  be  my  fixed  purpose  to  submit  to  no  such  dictation.  And 
I  am  prepared  to  abide  by  consequences.  I  have  appealed  to  the  con- 
stitution and  laws  of  my  country.  If  they  fail  to  protect  me,  I  appeal 
to  God  and  with  Him  I  cheerfully  rest  my  cause. 

"OBSERVER"  MOVED  TO  ALTON 

The  public  mind  became  more  and  more  disturbed  and  the  proprie- 
tors of  the  Observer  asked  Lovejoy  to  resign  as  editor  and  business 


212  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

manager.  This  he  cheerfully  did.  The  plant  had  not  been  a  paying  in- 
vestment and  it  was  turned  over  to  a  Mr.  Moore  who  seemed  to  be  finan- 
cially responsible  for  a  debt  soon  to  fall  due.  Mr.  Moore,  who  was  now 
owner,  asked  Mr.  Lovejoy  to  assume  again  control  of  the  paper  with  the 
understanding  that  it  should  be  moved  to  Alton. 

Mr.  Lovejoy  found  the  Alton  people  quite  pleased  at  the  idea  of  the 
removal  of  the  paper  to  their  town.  In  the  meantime  Mr.  Moore  and  his 
friends  changed  their  minds  and  decided  to  continue  the  publication  of 
the  paper  in  St.  Louis.  Accordingly  everything  ran  smoothly  till  an 
unfortunate  occurrence  in  that  city  in  April,  1836.  This  was  the  burning 
alive  of  a  negro  by  a  mob.  The  negro  had,  without  any  provocation, 
fatally  stabbed  the  deputy  sheriff  who  had  the  negro  under  arrest.  The 
Observer,  of  course,  took  note  of  the  double  crime,  dwelling  upon  the 
danger  of  the  spirit  of  mob  violence.  No  stress  whatever  was  attached 
to  the  fact  that  the  person  mobbed  was  a  black  man.  In  connection 
with  the  denunciation  of  this  mob  in  St.  Louis  condemnatory  articles 
appeared  relative  to  mob  violence  of  recent  occurrence  in  Mississippi 
and  Massachusetts.  The  court,  Judge  Lawless,  in  charging  the  grand 
jury  in  relation  to  this  burning  of  the  negro  virtually  said  if  you  find 
that  the  act  was  that  of  a  multitude  then  you  will  not  be  able  to  find  any 
true  bills  in  the  case.  This  charge  by  the  judge  to  the  grand  jury  was 
also  attacked  by  the  Observer.  Popular  excitement  now  ran  high,  which 
was  not  allayed  by  the  announcement  that  the  press  would  be  removed 
to  Alton.  The  office  was  entered  by  unknown  parties,  and  the  fixtures 
broken  up  and  some  type  destroyed ;  but  the  press  was  not  seriously 
damaged,  and  preparations  were  made  to  ship  it  to  Alton.  The  press 
reached  Alton  on  Sunday  morning,  July  24,  1836. 

MOB  DESTROYS  PRESSES 

The  press  lay  upon  the  wharf  through  the  day  of  its  arrival,  but  that 
night  a  mob  broke  it  to  pieces  and  threw  the  fragments  into  the  river. 
The  citizens  of  Alton  called  a  public  meeting  and  while  they  passed 
resolutions  condemnatory  of  abolitionism,  they  also  were  equally  out- 
spoken in  their  condemnation  of  the  action  of  the  mob  in  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  press.  Lovejoy  was  at  this  meeting  and  is  said  to  have 
promised  that  he  would  desist  from  discussing  the  subject  of  slavery. 

But  in  later  years  his  friends  denied  this  and  put  out  a  very  strong 
statement  to  that  effect.  The  public  statement  signed  by  ten  men  who 
were  present,  and  heard  Lovejoy  speak,  says  that  they  were  willing  to 
testify  that  he  did  say:  "But,  gentlemen,  as  long  as  I  am  an  American 
citizen,  and  as  long  as  American  blood  runs  in  these  veins,  I  shall  hold 
myself  at  liberty  to  speak,  to  write,  and  to  publish  whatever  I  please  on 
the  subject — being  amenable  to  the  laws  of  my  country  for  the  same." 
The  ten  men  who  put  out  this  public  statement  were : 
George  H.  Walworth  Solomon  E.  Moore 

John  W.  Chickering  F.  W.  Graves 

A.  Alexander  A.  B.  Roff 

Effingham  Cock  James  Morse,  Jr. 

W.  L.  Chappell  Charles  W.  Hunter 

As  the  result  of  the  mass  meeting  held  to  condemn  the  destruction  of 
the  press,  money  was  raised  and  a  new  press  was  purchased  and  on  the 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  213 

8th  of  September,  1836,  the  first  issue  of  the  Alton  Observer  was  given 
to  the  people.  From  that  day  to  the  following  August  the  paper  was 
issued  regularly.  During  this  time  it  would  appear  that  Mr.  Lovejoy 
had  undergone  a  change  relative  to  the  manner  of  dealing  with  the 
slavery  question.  He  had  by  the  middle  of  the  summer  of  1837  taken 
a  position  of  immediate  emancipation.  He  was  now  willing  to  petition 
congress  to  abolish  slavery  in  the  District  of  Columbia.  He  was  also 
converted  to  the  idea  that  the  time  was  at  hand  for  the  organization,  in 
the  state  and  the  country,  of  anti-slavery  societies. 

He  advocated  the  organization  of 'an  "Illinois  State  Anti-Slavery 
Society."  It  was  finally  agreed  among  those  interested  that  Alton 
would  be  the  proper  place,  and  about  November  1,  1837,  the  time  for 
such  a  meeting — the  meeting  was  finally  called  for  October  26,  1837. 

In  all  these  weeks  and  months  as  time  went  by,  there  was  a  very 
steady  growth  of  opposition  to  the  work  and  influence  of  Mr.  Lovejoy. 
Many  absurdly  false  stories  were  circulated  to  lower  the  estimation  of 
good  people  concerning  Mr.  Lovejoy.  On  July  8,  a  mass  meeting  was 
held  in  the  market  house  in  Alton  at  which  meeting  resolutions  were 
passed  censuring  the  editor  of  the  Observer  for  continually  dinning 
this  slavery  question  in  their  ears.  A  committee  of  five  men  was  ap- 
pointed to  notify  Mr.  Lovejoy  of  the  feeling  of  the  public  and  of  the 
action  of  the  market  house  mass  meeting.  Mr.  Lovejoy  replied  in  a  very 
dignified  way,  stating  that  he  denied  the  right  of  a  public  meeting  to 
dictate  what  sentiments  should  be  expressed  in  a  public  newspaper. 

The  pro-slavery  sentiment  could  not  contain  itself  much  longer.  It 
must  have  vent  in  some  personal  violence.  On  the  evening  of  August 
21,  1837,  late  at  night,  two  young  doctors,  Beall  and  Jenning,  called 
upon  Col.  George  T.  M.  Davis,  a  lawyer  of  prominence,  and  informed 
him  that  they  had  started  out  in  company  with  a  dozen  others  with  the 
express  purpose  of  tarring  and  feathering  the  abolition  editor,  and  that 
they  had  met  him  coming  to  town  from  his  home.  The  mob  stopped 
Mr.  Lovejoy  and  told  him  their  errand,  whereupon  Mr.  Lovejoy  told 
them  that  he  was  going  into  town  after  some  medicine  for  his  wife  who 
was  very  sick,  that  he  knew  that  they  had  power  to  do  with  him  as  they 
pleased,  but  that  if  one  of  this  mob  would  take  the  prescription  into 
town  and  get  the  medicine  and  return  with  it  to  his  sick  wife  and  not 
let  her  know  what  had  become  of  him,  then  he  would  go  with  them  and 
cheerfully  abide  by  their  wishes.  At  this  no  one  dared  to  accept  the 
challenge,  whereupon,  they  sneakingly  retired  and  allowed  him  to  pro- 
ceed. But  if  they  were  not  brave  enough  to  lay  hands  on  an  honest, 
innocent  man  they  were  brave  enough  to  do  a  deed  twice  as  dastardly. 
They  repaired  to  his  office,  broke  it  open,  and  destroyed  his  press  and 
material.  It  was  now  confidently  believed  that  abolitionism  had  been 
given  a  death  blow  in  Alton. 

But  they  who  reasoned  thus  had  not  reckoned  with  the  abolition 
forces,  for  immediately  the  friends  and  supporters  of  Lovejoy  met  and 
voted  to  call  for  a  popular  subscription  for  the  purpose  of  buying  an- 
other press.  The  funds  flowed  in  with  amazing  promptitude  and  by 
September  21,  a  new  press  had  arrived  from  Cincinnati.  It  was  stored 
in  a  warehouse  on  Second  street  between  State  and  Piasa  streets.  That 
night  a  mob  broke  open  the  warehouse  and  carried  the  press  to  the 
river's  edge  and  there  it  was  broken  to  pieces  and  the  pieces  thrown 
into  the  river.  This  was  the  third  press  destroyed  and  the  fourth  case 


214  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

of  violence  to  Mr.  Love  joy's  presses.  The  question  now  arose  in  the 
minds  of  some  of  Mr.  Lovejoy's  friends  whether  to  remain  in  Alton  and 
fight  the  issue  to  a  finish  or  remove  to  Quincy  where  the  people  had 
promised  ample  protection  and  support.  Mr.  Lovejoy  never  for  a 
moment  doubted  what  his  duty  was.  He  thought  the  paper  ought  to 
remain  in  Alton. 

In  the  meantime  a  gathering  of  what  promised  to  be  an  anti-slavery 
convention  assembled  in  upper  Alton  on  October  26,  to  which  had  been 
invited  all  who  thought  slavery  a  sin,  together  with  those  who  were 
"friends  of  free  discussion."  The  pro-slavery  men  were  in  a  majority, 
having  come  under  the  head  of  "friends  of  free  discussion."  After  a 
two  days'  discussion  the  meeting  adjourned  without  accomplishing 
anything,  but  fifty-five  anti-slavery  men  met  and  quietly  organized  a 
' '  State  Anti-Slavery  Society. ' '  These  fifty-five  men  were  of  the  opinion 
that  the  Observer  should  be  continued  in  Alton.  It  was  finally  made 
known  that  a  fourth  press  had  been  ordered  and  then  the  rage  of  the 
pro-slavery  people  knew  no  bounds.  A  public  meeting  was  called  for 
Thursday,  November  2,  which  after  a  brief  session  adjourned  to  the 
next  day.  At  this  second  session  strong  condemnatory  resolutions 
were  passed.  Lovejoy  was  present  in  this  meeting  and  made  a  most 
touching  appeal  to  those  present  for  protection. 

Mr.  Lovejoy  said  in  that  meeting: 

Mr.  Chairman,  it  is  not  true  as  has  been  charged  upon  me  that  I 
hold  in  contempt  the  feelings  and  sentiments  of  this  community  in  ref- 
erence to  the  question  which  is  now  agitating  it.  ...  But,  sir, 
while  I  value  the  good  opinion  of  my  fellow-citizens  as  highly  as  any- 
one, I  may  be  permitted  to  say  that  I  am  governed  by  higher  considera- 
tions than  either  the  favor  or  the  fear  of  man.  ...  I  plant  myself 
down  upon  my  unquestionable  right,  and  the  question  to  be  decided  is 
whether  I  shall  be  protected  in  the  enjoyments  of  these  rights — that  is 
the  question,  sir,  whether  my  property  shall  be  protected,  whether  I 
shall  be  suffered  to  go  home  to  my  family  at  night  without  being  as- 
sailed, threatened  with  tar  and  feathers  and  assassination — whether  my 
afflicted  wife,  whose  life  has  been  in  jeopardy  from  continual  alarm  and 
excitement,  shall  night  after  night  be  driven  from  a  sick  bed  into  the 
garret  to  save  herself  from  brick  bats  and  violence  of  the  mob.  That, 
sir,  is  the  question!  ...  I  know,  sir,  that  you  can  tar  and  feather 
me,  hang  me,  or  put  me  in  the  Mississippi  without  the  least  difficulty. 
But  what  then?  Where  shall  I  go?  .  .  .  I  have  concluded,  after 
consulting  with  my  friends,  and  earnestly  seeking  counsel  of  God,  to 
remain  in  Alton,  and  here  insist  on  protection  in  the  exercise  of  my 
rights.  If  the  civil  authorities  refuse  to  protect  me,  I  must  look  to  God, 
and  if  I  die,  I  am  determined  to  make  my  grave  in  Alton. 

The  Reverend  Mr.  Dimmock  has  said :  "  I  know  of  no  more  pathetic 
figure  in  all  history  than  this  man  standing  up  alone  among  a  host  of 
enemies  with  tears  streaming  from  his  eyes — pleading  for  that  liberty 
of  speech  and  of  press  which  is  the  foundation  of  all  liberties ;  with  the 
shadow  of  death  already  gathering  about  him,  yet  ready  and  willing 
to  die  rather  than  yield  the  highest  and  noblest  right  of  citizenship." 
Lovejoy's  words  were  very  powerful  as  those  who  heard  them  after- 
wards testified. 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  215 

LOVEJOY  A  MARTYR 

The  fourth  press  was  on  its  way  to  the  city  of  Alton.  The  mayor  of 
the  city,  Mr.  John  M.  Krum,  having  a  very  limited  police  force,  was 
willing  that  a  body  of  private  citizens  should  act  as  a  sort  of  militia  to 
preserve  order  and  protect  property.  About  2  o'clock  on  Tuesday 
morning,  November  7,  the  press  was  landed  at  the  wharf  and  was  im- 
mediately moved  to  the  ware-rooms  of  Godfrey,  Oilman  &  Co.,  where 
it  was  placed  on  the  fourth  floor.  Although  this  was  2  o'clock  or  later 
in  the  morning  yet  the  mayor  was  present  to  assist,  so  far  as  he  might, 
in  protecting  the  press.  So  also  was  Mr.  Oilman,  a  member  of  the 
above  named  firm.  Likewise  the  citizen-soldier-band,  about  sixty  in 
number,  was  present.  There  were  no  demonstrations  that  night  and 
early  in  the  morning  of  the  7th,  the  militia  went  to  their  homes. 
Nothing  occurred  through  the  day  which  would  indicate  that  harm  was 
intended  to  person  or  property.  Toward  evening  the  militia  band  to 
the  number  of  sixty  or  thereabouts  came  to  this  store  of  Godfrey  and 
Oilman  to  drill.  They  were  accustomed  to  drill  in  an  upper  room  of 
the  big  double  building,  one  end  of  which  faced  Second  street,  and  the 
other  overlooking  the  river,  faced  Levee  street,  or  First  street.  In  this 
upper  room  the  militia  drilled  till  about  9  o'clock,  and  thinking  every- 
thing would  be  safe,  they  were  about  ready  to  go  to  their  homes  when 
Mr.  Oilman  asked  if  they  did  not  think  it  would  be  safer  for  a  detail  to 
remain  all  night.  He  told  them  they  could  sleep  on  the  goods  in  the 
store.  Mr.  Oilman's  advice  was  taken  and  twenty  men  remained,  in- 
cluding Mr.  Oilman  and  Mr.  Lovejoy. 

Those  who  went  to  their  homes  had  been  gone  but  a  short  time  till 
there  were  signs  of  trouble.  The  mob  spirit  began  to  show  itself.  Pres- 
ently Edward  Keating,  a  lawyer,  and  Henry  W.  West,  a  merchant,  ap- 
peared at  the  store  and  asked  to  see  Mr.  Oilman.  They  said  the  gentlemen 
who  were  gathering  outside  had  sent  them  to  demand  the  surrender  of 
the  press,  and  further  said  if  the  press  were  given  up  that  no  harm 
would  be  done  to  persons  or  property.  Mr.  Oilman  referred  the  matter 
to  the  little  band '  and  after  consultation  they  decided  not  to  comply 
with  their  demands.  Keating  and  "West  then  said  that  the  people  with- 
out would  certainly  destroy  the  building  if  that  were  necessary  to  secure 
the  press.  Some  of  the  guard  wanted  to  keep  Keating  and  West  as 
hostages  till  morning,  and  if  this  course  had  been  adopted  probably  the 
sacrifice  of  two  lives  would  not  have  been  necessary.  But  they  were 
allowed  to  depart,  and  their  report  to  the  mob  only  added  fuel  to  the 
flame  and  they  began  an  attack  on  the  building  with  rocks  and  clubs. 
The  men  inside  had  elected  a  captain,  but  he  was  not  equal  to  the 
emergency  and  they  soon  took  positions  to  suit  their  own  notion  of 
defense. 

It  was  a  very  bright  moonlight  night  and  one  of  the  guards  in  the 
building,  Henry  Tanner,  who  afterwards  wrote  fully  of  all  the  incidents, 
said  he  could  easily  distinguish  his  neighbors  on  the  ground  below  as  he 
looked  out  of  the  doors  and  windows  of  the  upper  floors.  The  mob  be- 
came more  and  more  demonstrative  and  shots  were  fired.  Presently  one 
of  the  militiamen  fired  into  the  mob  and  shot  a  man  named  Bishop,  who 
died  before  they  could  get  him  to  Dr.  Hart's  office  across  the  street. 
Then  the  mob  made  preparations  to  set  fire  to  the  building  by  climbing 
to  the  roof  on  the  east  side,  but  they  were  driven  back.  Other  attempts 


216 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


were  made  when  Lovejoy,  Roff,  and  Weller  went  outside  next  to  the 
levee  to  defend  it  against1  fire  when  Lovejoy  was  shot  from  behind  a 
pile  of  lumber  at  a  short  distance  eastward.  He  received  five  balls  in 
his  body.  He  walked  inside  and  up  a  pair  of  stairs  and  said,  "I  am 
shot !  I  am  shot !  I  am  dead !  He  fell  to  the  floor  without  another  word 
and  expired.  Roff  and  Weller  were  both  seriously  wounded.  Keating 
and  West  came  then  to  the  door  and  said  they  desired  to  agree  upon 
terms  of  surrender.  The  terms  offered  were  to  surrender  the  press  and 
cease  the  defense.  This  was  finally  agreed  to  and  fifteen  of  the  twenty 
marched  out,  but  they  were  fired  at  by  the  mob  until  they  were  out  of 
sight,  but  fortunately  no  one  was  hurt.  The  five  men  who  remained  were 
Lovejoy  dead,  Weller  and  Roff  wounded,  Thompson,  who  remained  be- 
hind till  the  mob  entered  the  building,  and  Hurlburt,  who  stayed  by 
the  dead  body  of  his  chief. 

The  press  was  broken  to  pieces  when  the  mob  dispersed.  The  dead 
body  of  Lovejoy  lay  on  a  cot  till  the  following  day,  the  8th  of  Novem- 
ber, the  thirty-fifth  anniversary  of  his  birth.  A  hearse  was  procured 
and  the  body  taken  to  the  late  residence.  Mr.  Owen  Lovejoy  was  with 
the  stricken  wife,  and  as  the  dead  body  of  his  brother  lay  before  him 
"he  vowed  that  from  henceforth  he  would  fight  the  cursed  institution 
which  had  killed  his  brother."  The  body  was  prepared  for  burial  and 
a  grave  was  dug  on  a  bluff  which  in  after  years  came  to  be  the  City 


HIC  JACET 

LOVEJOY 

JAM  PARCE  SEPULTO 


Cemetery.  The  Rev.  Thomas  Lippincott  conducted  simple  services.  No 
sermon  or  remarks  or  any  explanation  of  the  death  was  offered.  No 
inquest  was  held  over  the  body  and  a  very  few  attended  the  funeral. 

Eleven  years  after  this  tragic  event  the  Rev.  Thomas  Dimmock,  then 
a  young  man  living  in  Alton,  in  company  with  an  older  citizen,  found 
the  grave  of  Lovejoy  marked  with  the  initials  E.  P.  L.  carved  in  the 
wood.  The  grave  was  between  two  large  oaks.  When  the  ground  was 
fenced  and  laid  off  as  a  cemetery  a  street  ran  directly  over  the  grave, 
the  trees  were  cut  down  and  the  board  disappeared.  The  superintendent 
of  the  cemetery,  Mr.  William  Bruden,  knew  the  .grave  and  so  he  placed 
two  limestone  rocks,  one  at  the  head  and  one  at  the  foot,  letting  them 
down  level  with  the  top  of  the  ground.  And  thus  the  grave  remained  in 
the  middle  of  the  street  for  several  years.  Eventually  Maj.  Charles  W. 
Hunter  had  the  remains  removed  to  an  adjoining  lot  of  his  own.  The 
person  to  do  this  work  was  a  colored  man  by  the  name  of  William  John- 
ston. This  colored  man  had  dug  the  grave  and  buried  Love  joy's  re- 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  217 

mains  at  the  time  of  his  death  and  now  we  have  a  very  definite  chain  of 
evidence  as  to  the  identity  of  the  grave. 

When  the  remains  were  removed  by  order  of  Major  Hunter  a  crude 
sort  of  tombstone,  probably  an  old  one,  was  placed  at  the  grave  and 
marked  ' '  Lovejoy. ' '  In  later  years  the  Rev.  Mr.  Dimmock  purchased  a 
simple  marble  scroll  resting  on  a  block  of  granite.  On  the  scroll  he  had 
inscribed : 

Hie  Jacet  Lovejoy.  Jam  Parce  Sepulto.  "Here  Lies  Lovejoy. 
Spare  him  now  that  he  is  buried." 

The  lot  was  transferred  from  Major  Hunter  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Dim- 
mock,  and  in  August,  1885,  he  transferred  •  all  right,  title,  and  interest 
in  the  lot  to  the  colored  people  of  Alton.  The  city  of  Alton  set  aside  a 
suitable  lot  upon  which  to  erect  a  monument  and  an  association  was 
formed  and  considerable  interest  manifested  in  the  erection  of  a  suit- 
able monument.  But  nothing  of  any  importance  was  accomplished  till 
June  17,  1895.  In  that  year  the  general  assembly  appropriated  the  sum 
of  $25,000  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  a  suitable  monument  to  the 
memory  of  this  martyr  to  the  cause  of  free  speech,  free  press,  and  free 
men.  The  citizens  of  Alton  supplemented  this  with  a  smaller  amount 
and  thus  there  stands  in  the  cemetery  at  Alton  a  beautiful  shaft  to  per- 
petuate the  memory  of  one  of  America 's  martyrs. 


218 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


'• 


THE  LOVEJOY  MONUMENT  ON  BLUFF  OVERLOOKING  MISSISSIPPI  RIVER  AT 

ALTON 


CHAPTER  XX 
ILLINOIS  FROM  1838  TO  1846 

THOMAS  CAKLIN  ELECTED  GOVERNOR — "TIPPECANOE  AND  TYLER  Too" — 
INTERNAL  IMPROVEMENT  SCHEMES  COLLAPSE — GOVERNOR  THOMAS 
FORD — ILLINOIS  AND  MICHIGAN  CANAL  PROGRESSES — SOME  SOCIAL 
PROBLEMS. 

It  will  be  recalled  that  the  unfortunate  internal  improvement  venture 
had  its  beginning  in  the  administration  of  Governor  Duncan.  In  the 
first  two  years  of  Governor  Duncan 's  term,  the  public  mind  was  largely 
occupied  with  the  banking  business  and  with  the  Illinois  and  Michigan 
canal.  From  the  meeting  of  the  legislature  in  December,  1836,  to  the 
end  of  Governor  Carlin's  term,  the  absorbing  topic  was  internal  im- 
provement. In  the  midst,  therefore,  of  this  wild  excitement  concerning 
railroad  and  canal  building,  the  building  of  cities  and  towns,  and  the 
issuing  of  bonds  by  the  millions,  a  campaign  was  waged  for  the  gover- 
norship of  the  state. 

THOMAS  CARLIN  ELECTED  GOVERNOR 

The  election  for  governor  and  other  offices  was  held  in  August,  1838. 
There  were  two  leading  candidates  for  governor.  Cyrus  W.  Edwards,  a 
Whig,  announced  his  candidacy  and  allied  himself  with  the  improvement 
system.  His  opponent  was  Thomas  Carlin,  of  Carrollton,  Greene  county. 
Mr.  Carlin  was  a  ' '  Democrat  of  the  straightest  sect. ' '  Notwithstanding 
the  important  local  interest  of  the  state,  the  campaign  managers  appar- 
ently recognized  the  national  interest  as  paramount.  The  Whig  ticket 
in  Morgan  county  was  headed  "  Anti-Sub-treasury  Ticket.  For  a  sound 
specie-paying  National  Bank,  and  for  curtailing  the  Internal  Improve- 
ment System."  To  meet  this  array  of  political  principles  the  opposing 
ticket  read  "For  the  Sub-treasury.  Against  a  National  Bank,  and  for 
a  vigorous  prosecution  and  final  completion  of  the  Internal  Improvement 
System." 

The  canvass  was  a  strenuous  one  and  was  participated  in  by  the 
leading  Whigs  and  Democrats.  The  Democrats  were  victorious  by  a 
majority  of  less  than  one  thousand  votes.  The  legislature  met  in  Decem- 
ber and  Governor  Carlin  was  inducted  into  office.  He  unfortunately 
encouraged  the  improvement  people  and,  as  has  been  said,  nearly  a 
million  dollars  additional  appropriations  were  added  to  the  improvement 
schemes.  In  addition  some  measures  of  general  interest  were  passed; 
one  to  establish  the  library  for  the  supreme  court:  one  to  establish  the 

219 


220  HISTOEY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

Illinois  Asylum  for  the  education  of  the  deaf  and  dumb ;  one  requiring 
the  governor  to  reside  at  the  seat  of  government  of  the  state. 

We  have  already  spoken  of  the  removal  of  the  capital  from  Van- 
dalia  to  Springfield.  The  constitution  of  1818  provided  that  the  capital 
should  remain  in  Kaskaskia  until  removed  by  action  of  the  general 
assembly.  It  also  provided  that  when  so  removed  it  must  remain  where 
located  for  twenty  years.  The  legislature  of  1836-7,  by  a  vote  of  the 
senate  and  house,  located  the  capital  at  Springfield.  In  the  session  of 
the  legislature  of  1838-9,  steps  were  taken  for  the  transfer  of  the  records 
and  other  belongings  of  the  state.  A  state  house  was  under  construction, 
but  not  complete,  and  at  the  convening  of  the  legislature  in  special  ses- 
sion on  December  9,  1839,  the  use  of  the  Second  Presbyterian  church 
was  secured  for  the  sittings  of  the  house ;  the  Methodist  church,  for  the 
senate;  and  the  Episcopal  church  for  the  supreme  court. 

The  capitol  which  was  undergoing  construction  was  to  be  a  very 
elegant  and  commodious  building.  It  was  located  in  the  center  of  the 
square,  and  was  123  feet  long,  89  feet  wide,  and  44  feet  high.  It  was 
constructed  from  native  stone  quarried  only  a  few  miles  from  the  town. 
At  the  north  and  south  ends  very  large  round  pillars  supported  a  pro- 
jecting portico,  and  the  whole  was  surmounted  by  a  dome  of  proper 
proportion.  It  is  still  standing  and  has  been  extensively  repaired,  and 
enlarged  by  putting  an  extra  story  between  the  basement  and  what  was 
formerly  the  first  story.  It  is  now  the  courthouse  for  Sangamon  county. 

The  special  session  of  the  legislature  which  met  in  Springfield  Decem- 
ber 9,  1839,  was  chiefly  concerned  about  the  winding  up  of  the  affairs 
of  the  collapsed  improvement  scheme.  The  session  was  adjourned  Feb- 
ruary 3,  1840. 

' '  TlPPECANOE  AND  TYLER  TOO ' ' 

The  great  "Tippecanoe  and  Tyler  Too"  campaign  of  1840  was 
warmly  contested  in  Illinois.  It  was  in  this  campaign  that  the  won- 
derful powers  of  Lincoln  and  Douglas  as  public  orators  became  known 
through  the  state  and  the  nation.  Illinois  was  divided  into  three  con- 
gressional districts,  the  third  being  made  of  the  thirty-four  northern 
counties.  Stephen  A.  Douglas  and  Mr.  John  T.  Stuart,  Lincoln's  law 
partner,  were  candidates  for  congress  in  this  district  in  1838,  and 
Stuart  was  elected  by  fourteen  votes.  In  the  canvass  of  1840  this  dis- 
trict was  therefore  fighting  ground.  The  Whigs  planned  a  large  meet- 
ing in  Springfield  in  June,  1840.  Lincoln  was  one  of  the  five  presiden- 
tial electors  and  he  was  very  anxious  not  to  be  defeated.  *To  this 
meeting  came  twenty  thousand,  some  said  fifty  thousand  people.  They 
came  from  as  far  north  as  Chicago.  It  took  fourteen  teams  to  bring 
the  Chicago  delegation  and  they  were  three  weeks  on  the  journey.  They 
brought  a  two-masted  ship  with  a  band  of  music  and  a  six  pound  can- 
non. Delegations  came  from  all  directions.  A  log  cabin  was  drawn 
in  the  procession  by  thirty  yoke  of  oxen,  and  in  a  hickory  tree  planted 
by  the  side  of  this  cabin  live  coons  were  playing ;  a  barrel  of  hard  cider 
stood  near  the  door.  Lincoln  made  a  great  speech,  possibly  several 
during  the  day,  from  a  wagon.  Thousands  of  people  crowded  around 
him.  He  was  then  only  thirty-one  years  old,  but  was  rapidly  coming 
into  public  favor. 

The  Democrats  held  enthusiastic  gatherings  throughout  the  state  at 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  221 

which  eloquent  speakers  praised  the  virtues  of  "little  Van."  The 
Democrats  carried  Illinois  by  a  majority  of  1,939.  This  is  accounted 
for  by  noting  the  vote  along  the  canal  and  in  Cook  and  St.  Clair 
counties.  Here  the  foreign  vote  was  large,  and  they  are  supposed  to 
have  voted  with  the  Democrats.  The  questions  over  which  these  two 
parties  fought  their  campaign  were :  Internal  improvements  by  the 
general  government,  United  States  Bank,  Protective  Tariff,  National 
Economy. 

There  was  also  elected  in  the  fall  of  1840  a  legislature.  And  in- 
stead of  selecting  men  who  were  especially  fitted  to  solve  the  problems 
arising  in  the  state,  men  were  selected  largely  by  reason  of  their  affilia- 
tion with  national  parties.  There  was  a  lack  of  sympathy  between 
these  strong  partisans  when  they  came  together  in  the  state  legislature, 
and  often  the  interests  of  the  state  suffered  by  reason  thereof. 

There  was  some  talk  in  the  years  of  1839-40-41,  of  repudiating  the 
state's  great  debt.  This  is  usually  considered  a  very  unpatriotic  pro- 
ceeding. A  state  may,  however,  repudiate  its  debt  and  there  were 
those  who  were  favorable  to  such  action.  Of  course  few  public  men 
talked  of  repudiation  openly,  but  privately  many  were  favorable  to  it. 
Governor  Ford,  in  his  history,  says:  "It  is  my  solemn  belief  that 
when  I  came  into  office,  I  had  the  power  to  make  Illinois  a  repudiating 
state."  Governor  Ford  means  that  all  the  people  needed  was  a  bold 
leader.  But  no  legislative  action  was  ever  taken  which  looked  toward 
repudiation.  The  state's  indebtedness  was  eventually  paid  and  the 
honor  of  the  state  saved. 

INTERNAL  IMPROVEMENT  SCHEMES  COLLAPSE 

By  1840  it  was  seen  that  the  state  could  not  carry  out  its  improve- 
ment plans  and  steps  were  taken  to  abandon  the  work. 

And  while  there  was  an  effort  to  continue  certain  phases  of  the  work 
the  general  feeling  was  that  the  safest  and  sanest  thing  to  do  was  to  re- 
verse completely  the  policy.  Laws  were  passed  abolishing  the  board  of 
fund  commissioners  and  the  board  of  public  works.  One  fund  com- 
missioner was  then  authorized  to  act  but  without  power  to  sell  bonds  or 
to  borrow  money  on  the  credit  of  the  state.  A  board  of  public  works, 
consisting  of  three  members  was  created.  This  fund  commissioner  and 
this  board  of  public  works  were  to  wind  up  all  business  without  delay, 
pay  off  all  contractors  in  orders  on  the  treasury,  and  discharge  all  em- 
ployees except  such  as  were  absolutely  necessary  to  wind  up  the  busi- 
ness. All  bonds  unsold  were  to  be  returned  and  burned.  The  new 
board  of  public  works  was  to  take  charge  and  operate  any  roads  which 
were  near  completion. 

The  work  on  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  canal  was  not  checked. 

The  "Great  Northern  Cross  Railroad,"  which  was  being  constructed 
from  Springfield  to  Quincy  was  completed  from  Meredosia  to  Jackson- 
ville, a  distance  of  about  twenty-five  miles.  The  total  cost  of  the  road 
between  these  points  was  $1,000.000.  An  engine  was  put  on  in  1842. 
The  income  was  not  as  large  as  the  expenses  and  in  the  course  of  a  year 
or  so  the  engine  was  taken  off  and  the  road  wns  leased  and  run  bv  mule 
power  for  several  years.  It  was  eventually  sold  for  $100,000.  which, was 
paid  for  in  state  stock  which  was  worth  twenty-one  cents  on  the  dollar. 

In  1840  our  indebtedness  was  more  than  $14,000,000.  This  large 
debt  should,  however,  be  credited  by  the  following  items: 


222  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

Forty-two  thousand  acres  of  land  bought  by  the  state,  unsold. 

Two  hundred  thirty  thousand  four  hundred  sixty  seven  acres  of 
canal  donation  unsold. 

Three  thousand  four  hundred  ninety-one  town  lots  in  Chicago,  Ot- 
tawa, etc. 

Two  hundred  ten  thousand  acres  of  land  donated  by  congress  in 
1841. 

A  large  consignment  of  railroad  iron. 

Large  pieces  of  unfinished  railroad  in  the  state. 

Illinois  and  Michigan  canal. 

Thus  stood  the  debit  and  credit  sides  of  the  state's  account  in  1840 
when  the  internal  improvement  schemes  collapsed. 

GOVERNOR  THOMAS  FORD 

Conventions  for  the  nomination  of  candidates  were  a  part  of  the 
party  machinery  by  1842.  It  appears  also  that  people  in  those  days 
believed  in  long  drawn  out  campaigns,  for  as  early  as  December,  1841, 
the  Democratic  state  convention  was  held  in  Springfield  for  the  nomi- 
nation of  candidates  for  state  offices.  The  honors  fell  upon  Adam  W. 
Snyder,  of  St.  Clair  county,  for  governor,  and  upon  John  Moore,  of  Mc- 
Lean county,  for  lieutenant  governor.  In  the  spring  of  1842  ex-Gover- 
nor Duncan  became  the  Whig  candidate  for  governor,  and  W.  H.  Hen- 
derson, for  lieutenant  governor.  The  campaign  promised  to  be  a  very 
interesting  one  because  of  the  Mormon  problem  which  was  just  then 
attracting  attention.  The  Mormons  had  made  liberal  requests  upon  the 
legislature  and  it  appears  that  Mr.  Snyder,  who  was  a  member  of  that 
body,  had  been  quite  active  in  assisting  them  to  secure  what  they  de- 
sired. This  fact  was  used  against  him  and  would  probably  have  seri- 
ously hindered  him  in  his  canvass.  But  in  the  early  summer  Mr.  Sny- 
der died  and  it  was  necessary  for  the  party  to  put  forward  another 
standard  bearer. 

A  Democratic  caucus  was  called  at  Springfield  in  June,  and  Thomas 
Ford,  a  judge  on  the  supreme  bench,  was  selected  as  the  candidate. 
Judge  -Ford  was  an  ideal  candidate  for  office — he  was  not  an  office 
seeker.  He  had  come  to  Illinois  as  early  as  1808.  He  was  a  poor  boy 
whose  father  had  been  massacred  by  the  Indians  in  Pennsylvania.  He 
had  been  fortunate  to  have  for  his  friend  Daniel  P.  Cook,  who  assisted 
young  Ford  in  many  ways.  Judge  Ford  had  held  the  office  of  state's 
attorney,  and  also  various  judgeships.  He  in  no  way  could  be  charged 
with  interest  in,  or  sympathy  for  the  Mormons.  The  times  were  indeed 
in  need  of  a  wise  counselor  and  a  courageous  leader  and  no  one  was  bet- 
ter fitted  to  save  the  state  from  the  impending  dishonor  of  repudiation. 

The  canvass  was  spirited,  the  chief  topic  being  the  Mormons,  the 
canal,  the  banks,  and  the  claims  of  Wisconsin  to  the  fourteen  counties 
in  the  northern  part  of  the  state.  Duncan  had  the  advantage  of  pre- 
vious campaigning  and  was,  besides,  a  strong  candidate.  Judge  Ford 
no  doubt  thought  it  wise  not  to  express  too  freely  his  views  upon  the 
troublesome  questions — for  they  were  all  troublesome — and  so  was  ac- 
cused by  Duncan  of  keeping  from  the  people  his  real  position  on  the 
questions  of  the  day.  When  the  ballots  were  counted  Ford  had  beaten 
Duncan  by  over  eight  thousand  votes.  The  legislature  was  very  largely 
Democratic.  Many  prominent  in  the  later  history  of  the  state  and  the 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  223 

nation  were  present  as  members  of  the  legislature  when  it  met  in  De- 
cember, 1842.  Two  future  governors,  Matteson  and  Yates,  were  mem- 
bers. 

Governor  Ford's  inaugural  message  was  full  of  vigorous  suggestions 
for  the  legislature.  He  was  in  favor  of  paying  every  dollar  of  the 
state's  indebtedness,  he  favored  finishing  the  canal,  and  declared  the 
banks  should  resume  specie  payment  or  suffer  their  business  to  be  wound 
up  by  the  state.  He  found  the  annual  expense  of  carrying  on  the  state 
government  was  $170,000  per  year,  while  the  receipts  were  only  $140,- 
000,  leaving  a  deficit  of  $30,000  each  year.  In  this  way  a  floating  debt 
had  grown  to  $313,000.  Auditor's  warrants  on  the  treasury  were  sell- 
ing for  50  cents  on  the  dollar,  while  the  internal  improvement  bonds 
were  worth  but  14  cents  on  the  dollar.  No  one  seemed  to  know  just 
what  to  do;  all  were  appalled  by  a  bonded  indebtedness  of  something 
near  $15,000,000.  Many  were  in  favor  of  public  repudiation  though 
not  generally  openly  announcing  their  views.  The  fact  is  that  very  few 
of  the  members  of  the  legislature  had  had  enough  experience  in  han- 
dling large  financial  ventures  to  have  any  conception  of  the  problem  be- 
fore them. 

ILLINOIS  AND  MICHIGAN  CANAL  PROGRESSES 

While  the  internal  improvement  schemes  were  absorbing  the  inter- 
ests of  the  people,  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  canal,  which  was  in  a  meas- 
ure an  independent  matter,  was  making  very  good  progress.  A  large 
amount  of  money  had  been  spent  upon  this  project  and  there  was  yet 
quite  a  sum  needed  to  finish  it.  Many  plans  had  been  suggested  for  its 
completion,  but  none  were  accepted  until  Mr.  Justin  Butterfield,  of 
Chicago,  a  lawyer  of  eminent  ability,  and  withal  a  patriotic  man, 
brought  forward  a  scheme  for  its  completion. 

This  was  a  proposition  to  the  holders  of  the  canal  bonds  to  advance 
$160,000,  the  amount  thought  necessary  to  finish  the  canal,  and  to  take 
a  lien  on  the  canal  and  all  its  property  together  with  its  income.  This 
loan  and  all  bonds  held  by  those  who  would  advance  this  money  were 
to  become  a  sort  of  preferred  claim  against  the  canal  and  its  interests. 
This,  after  considerable  investigation  and  consideration  was  agreed  to 
and  the  completion  of  the  canal  assured. 

The  next  thing  in  which  the  governor  was  interested  was  the  State 
Bank,  for  he  knew  that  rash  measures  toward  the  banks  would  be  looked 
upon  with  suspicion  by  those  upon  whom  we  were  depending  to  finish 
the  canal.  His  idea  was  a  compromise.  He  drew  the  bill  himself  and 
it  was  passed  by  the  house  by  one  hundred  and  seven  to  four.  A  similar 
bill  also  passed  relative  to  the  Shawneetown  bank.  This  bill  provided 
that  the  banks  which  held  more  than  $3,000,000  worth  of  bonds,  audi- 
tor's warrants,  etc.,  against  the  state  should  turn  them  over  to  the 
state,  while  the  state  should  surrender  a  like  amount  of  bank  stock, 
dollar  for  dollar.  This  arrangement  with  the  two  banks  reduced  the 
state's  indebtedness  over  $3,000,000.  The  bills  also  provided  that  the 
banks  should  go  into  liquidation. 

A  BRIGHTER  OUTLOOK 

Another  law  was  passed  which  made  the  governor  the  fund  com- 
missioner. He  and  the  auditor  were  to  have  charge  of  all  the  property 


224  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

connected  with  the  improvement  scheme.  They  were  to  collect  all  this 
material  and  turn  it  into  cash.  A  resolution  was  passed  which  pledged 
the  state  to  the  payment  of  every  dollar  of  indebtedness  which  had  been 
contracted  in  the  internal  improvement  venture.  All  that  was  done  by 
this  legislature  under  the  guidance  of  Governor  Ford  seems  to  have  been 
safe  and  sane.  At  least  it  was  so  regarded  at  the  time,  for  auditor's 
warrants  rose  from  50  cents  on  the  dollar,  at  the  beginnning  of  Ford's 
term,  to  90  cents  and  above.  State  bonds  were  14  cents  on  the  dollar  at 
the  beginning  of  the  administration,  and  before  Ford  went  out  of  office 
they  were  50  cents. 

It  is  also  said  that  as  much  as  $5,000,000  of  the  debt  was  wiped  out 
by  the  increase  in  the  value  of  the  lands  and  appurtenances  of  the  canal 
and  railroad.  Again,  at  the  close  of  Governor  Ford's  term,  the  floating 
debt  was  $31,212  instead  of  $313,000  as  at  the  beginning.  In  many 
ways  there  was  a  restoration  of  confidence.  Immigration  was  renewed 
and  the  population  reached  three-quarters  of  a  million. 
* 

SOME  SOCIAL  PROBLEMS 

In  the  administration  of  Governor  Ford  there  were  two  serious  prob- 
lems, both  of  which  were  social  in  their  nature,  though  one  was  some- 
what religious.  These  were  the  Mormon  problem,  and  the  Flathead  and 
Regulator  war  in  the  counties  bordering  on  the  Ohio  river.  The  Mor- 
mon problem  was  not  in  any  way  directly  connected  with  Southern  Illi- 
nois and  for  that  reason  only  a  passing  notice  can  be  taken  of  it. 

Joseph  Smith  was  born  in  Vermont  December  23,  1805.  When  a 
young  man  he  claimed  to  have  had  a  vision  in  which  a  book  was  seen 
which  revealed  a  new  religion.  Smith  organized  a  church  April  6,  1830. 
Later  his  followers  established  themselves  at  Kirtland,  Ohio,  Indepen- 
dence, Missouri,  and  later  at  Nauvoo,  Illinois.  They  began  coming  into 
Illinois  in  the  fall  of  1839.  In  two  years  there  were  as  many  as  six- 
teen thousand  people  in  Nauvoo.  They  soon  took  an  active  part  in  poli- 
tics and  could  by  holding  the  balance  of  power  exercise  great  influence 
in  legislation. 

The  city  of  Nauvoo  received  a  charter  from  the  legislature  of  such 
a  nature  that  the  state  laws  were  superseded  by  the  city  charter.  The 
city  courts  were  of  the  same  rank  as  state  courts,  and  the  city  could  or- 
ganize a  military  force.  Friction  between  these  people  and  the  "Gen- 
tiles" of  the  surrounding  country  soon  produced  civil  strife.  The  gov- 
ernor and  the  courts  stood  by  helpless.  Finally  by  a  diplomatic  move 
the  state  authorities  secured  the  leader,  Joseph  Smith,  and  put  him  in 
the  Hancock  county  jail  where  he  was  killed  by  a  mob.  The  death  of 
Smith  was  a  great  blow  to  the  Mormon  cause  and  soon  thereafter  they 
abandoned  Nauvoo  and  moved  west,  eventually  to  Salt  Lake. 

The  other  matter  which  engaged  Governor  Ford's  attention  was 
known  in  after  years  as  the  Flathead  and  Regulator  war.  Governor 
Ford  in  his  history  of  Illinois  devotes  a  chapter  to  an  account  of  the 
troubles  when  it  was  fresh  in  his  mind.  Hon.  James  A.  Rose  has  also 
given  considerable  attention  to  the  event  and  has  made  quite  a  collec- 
tion of  facts  which  has  been  filed  in  the  State  Historical  library. 

The  period  from  1830  to  1850  was  one  of  great  disturbance  and  un- 
rest in  Illinois.  Within  these  two  decades  history  records  the  Black 
Hawk  war,  the  assassination  of  Lovejoy,  internal  improvement,  the 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  225 

Mormon  difficulties,  the  Flathead  and  Regulator  war,  the  Mexican  war, 
besides  many  minor  disturbances. 

The  war  between  the  Flatheads  and  the  Regulators  was  confined  to 
the  southeast  part  of  the  state,  and  chiefly  to  the  counties  of  Hardin, 
Pope,  and  Massac,  though  other  counties  shared  in  the  confusion  and 
crimes  resulting  therefrom.  This  part  of  the  state  was  settled  chiefly 
by  immigrants  from  Tennessee,  the  Carolinas,  Virginia,  and  Kentucky. 
As  early  as  1800,  and  possibly  much  earlier,  there  was  a  ferry  at  the 
present  little  city  of  Golconda,  and  as  the  rough  settlers  from  the  above 
named  states  came  to  Illinois,  they  entered  through  the  counties  above 
mentioned.  This  region  is  located  in  the  eastern  end  of  the  Ozarks  and 
does  not  differ  greatly  from  the  Cumberland  regions.  It  was  rich  in 
timber  of  all  kinds  which  furnished  mast  for  the  hogs;  cattle  could  live 
through  the  year  on  the  grass  and  cane;  the  purest  of  water  bubbled 
from  scores  of  springs ;  and  take  it  altogether,  it  was  an  ideal  place  for 
rugged  pioneers.  The  people  were  not  all  bad,  but  many  unprincipled 
men  eventually  settled  in  that  locality. 

As  early  as  1831,  a  man  named  Sturdevant  located  in  the  upper  part 
of  Pope  county,  built  a  fort,  and  began  to  manufacture  counterfeit 
money.  There  was  with  him  a  number  of  people  and  for  a  while  they 
appeared  to  be  law-abiding  citizens,  but  their  business  was  soon  re- 
vealed. Their  spurious  bills  and  coins  were  scattered  broadcast.  It  is 
said  that  Sturdevant  received  $16  of  good  money  for  $100  of  his 
counterfeit  money.  At  first  some  of  his  confederates  were  arrested,  but 
upon  the  trial  of  the  case  the  jury  would  hang  or  in  some  way  he  would 
escape  punishment.  At  last  the  community  became  so  exasperated  that 
a  number  of  the  best  people  entered  into  an  organization  for  the  purpose 
of  driving  these  undesirable  citizens  out  of  the  country.  Among 
those  who  are  named  as  belonging  to  this  law  and  order  committee 
were :  Joseph  Pryor,  Dr.  William  Sim,  Rev.  William  Rondeau,  Hugh 
McNulty,  Maj.  John  Raum,  and  others.  It  was  the  plan  to  raid  the 
house  in  which  Sturdevant  had  his  tools,  plates,  etc.  In  some  way  the 
counterfeiter  found  out  about  the  contemplated  raid  and  was  prepared 
with  ' '  shot  and  shell. ' '  A  battle  ensued  in  which  it  is  said  that  three  of 
the  counterfeiters  were  killed.  The  siege  lasted  till  night  when  the 
outlaws  made  their  escape. 

For  a  while  the  community  was  orderly,  and  there  seemed  to  be  no 
signs  of  outlawry.  But  soon  the  locality  was  disturbed  by  horse  steal- 
ing and  the  presence  of  counterfeit  money.  The  road  leading  west  from 
Golconda  was  the  one  used  by  travelers  and  immigrants  from  Kentucky. 
There  was  a  ferry  at  Golconda  and  travel  naturally  centered  at  the 
ferry. 

Whenever  any  of  the  better  citizens  would  complain  about  these  ir- 
regularities, they  were  sure  to  pay  the  penalty  for  their  complaints  in 
the  loss  of  stock,  the  burning  of  their  barns,  or  some  form  of  personal 
harm.  In  fact  there  were  instances  of  assassination  as  the  penalty  for 
freely  expressing  one's  opinion  as  to  who  was  guilty  of  horse  stealing  or 
passing  counterfeit  money. 

Another  form  of  lawlessness  practiced  by  the  reckless  element  of 
the  region  of  these  river  counties  was  kidnapping.  The  "Black  Laws" 
were  very  severe  on  negroes  who  came  into  the  state  without  freedom 
papers.  Nor  were  negroes  who  were  free,  safe  from  kidnappers.  These 
counties  were  the  homes  of  a  number  of  negroes  and  mulattoes  who  had 


226  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

been  given  their  freedom.  A  ease  is  given  in  which  three  colored  chil- 
dren were  kidnapped  by  prominent  citizens  in  Pope  and  Massac  and 
sold  in  St.  Louis,  and  eventually  restored  to  their  parents.  The  one  re- 
sponsible for  revealing  the  names  of  the  kidnappers  died  shortly  after 
from  "apoplexy."  A  revolting  story  is  told  of  the  murderous  attack 
upon  an  old  man  and  his  wife  for  being  interested  in  some  money  sent 
into  Pope  county  for  some  free  negroes.  The  records  of  some  of  the 
Ohio  river  counties  are  yet  burdened  with  some  of  the  indictments  and 
trials  of  those  who  were  concerned  in  this  shameful  business. 

Public  order  was  so  disturbed  and  life  and  property  so  insecure  that 
an  organization  was  effected  whose  purpose  was  to  safeguard  life  and 
property  and  restore  the  quiet  and  order  in  the  community.  This  or- 
ganization was  known  as  the  Regulators.  Some  of  the  good  men  who 
supported  the  law-and-order.  committee  were :  Dr.  William  Sim,  Judge 
Wesley  Sloan,  Sheriff  William  Finley,  James  McCoy,  Thomas  Camp- 
bell, John  Raum,  father  of  General  Rauni,  and  others.  The  persons  who 
were  accused  of  the  violation  of  the  laws  were  called  Flatheads.  The 
Regulators  arrested  several  men  accused  of  the  attempted  murder  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sides,  spoken  of  above.  In  this  case  there  were  indict- 
ments and  confinement  in  jail  but  never  any  regular  trials  in  Pope 
county.  Several  of  the  accused  were  unmercifully  whipped  and  others 
ordered  to  leave  the  county.  Some  were  taken  to  Vienna  on  a  change 
of  venue  and  sentenced  to  the  penitentiary. 

While  this  struggle  between  the  Regulators  and  the  Flatheads  was 
going  on,  the  legislature  created  Massac  county.  It  is  said  this  action 
was  secured  through  the  influence  of  the  Flatheads  with  the  thought 
that  this  element  might  control  in  that  county  and  thus  furnish  a  sort 
of  place  of  refuge  for  outlaws.  The  two  elements — Regulators  and 
FlatEeads — were  no  longer  so  fully  differentiated  as  they  were  at  first. 
Not  all  bad  people  belonged  to  the  Flatheads  nor  all  good  people  to 
the  Regulators.  "The  cruelties  perpetrated  by  some  of  the  so-called 
Regulators  were  such  that  good  men  began  to  revolt."  Flatbeads  were 
taken  into  the  woods,  strapped  to  a  log  and  their  backs  beaten  with 
hickory  withes.  Some  were  tied  up  to  trees  with  weights  fastened  to 
their  hands  and  left  till  they  were  all  but  dead. 

Judge  Scates,  who  came  to  Metropolis  to  hold  court  in  1846,  was 
virtually  defied  by  the  Regulators.  So  unbearable  had  become  the 
conduct  of  the  Regulators  that  the  Flatheads  joined  with  the  civil  au- 
thorities for  the  preservation  of  order.  These  disorders  were  at  their 
height  about  the  time  of  the  trouble  with  the  Mormons.  Governor  Ford 
was  giving  most  of  his  attention  to  the  problem  of  the  Mormons,  and 
apparently  neglected  the  troubles  along  the  Ohio.  The  governor  did, 
however,  appoint  Dr.  William  I.  Gibbs  of  Johnson  county,  to  make 
an  investigation  into  the  matters  in  Massac  county,  which  he  did.  He 
and  others  secured  what  they  supposed  was  a  sort  of  compromise,  which 
worked  out  to  the  disadvantage  of  the  Flatheads. 

Governor  Augustus  C.  French  succeeded  Governor  Ford  in  Decem- 
ber, 1846,  and  without  delay  gave  attention  to  the  affairs  of  the  Ohio 
river  counties.  He  commissioned  Capt.  W.  S.  Akin,  A.  D.  Duff,  and 
Samuel  K.  Casey,  all  of  Franklin  county,  to  go  into  Massac  county 
and  make  full  investigation  and  report.  This  they  did.  saying  that 
there  were  good  and  bad  men  on  both  sides,  and  that  the  conditions 
were  unbearable.  The  legislature  created  an  extra  court,  which  should 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  227 

try  these  eases  out  of  the  county  in  which  the  offence  was  committed, 
but  this  was  held  invalid  and  no  relief  came  from  that  source.  The 
war  continued.  A  regular  pitched  battle  between  armed  bodies  was 
fought  near  Metropolis  in  1849,  in  which  about  one  hundred  and  fifty 
armed  men  engaged.  These  disturbances  occupied  the  attention  of  the 
governor,  the  courts,  and  the  legislature  during  the  years  of  1848  and 
1849.  Finally,  when  it  was  seen  that  the  state  government  was  in 
earnest  in  its  purpose  to  suppress  the  disorders,  quiet  was  soon  restored. 
It  should  be  said  of  these  people  today  that  they  are  a  law-abiding, 
industrious,  kind-hearted  people,  who  would  make  any  sacrifices  neces- 
sary in  maintaining  the  good  name  of  their  counties. 

This  war  between  the  Flatheads  and  the  Regulators  became  so 
noted  that  accounts  of  the  disturbances  were  regularly  published  in 
the  New  Orleans  Picayune,  Louisville  Journal,  the  New  York  Saturday 
Evening  Post,  the  Courier  of  Philadelphia,  and  the  St.  Louis  Republican. 

There  are  yet  to  be  seen  in  these  counties  and  adjacent  counties 
remains  of  old  forts  usually  constructed  of  rock,  and  enclosing  consider- 
able areas  of  ground.  The  people  living  here  do  not  seem  to  have  any 
explanation  of  these  forts,  but  it  is  conjectured  that  they  may  have 
been  built  by  the  two  factions  in  the  early  days  of  this  unfortunate 
strife.  However,  this  is  only  conjecture. 


CHAPTER  XXI 
ADMINISTRATION  OF  AUGUSTUS  C.  FRENCH 

THE  MEXICAN  WAR — THE  MORMONS — CONSTITUTION  OF  1848 — THE  ILLI- 
NOIS CENTRAL  RAILROAD — A  NEW  BANKING  SYSTEM. 

As  early  as  February,  1846,  the  Democratic  convention  nominated 
Augustus  C.  French  as  the  candidate  of  that  party  for  governor.  J.  B. 
Wells  was  nominated  for  lieutenant  governor.  The  Whigs  were  hope- 
lessly in  the  minority  and  could  not  persuade  themselves  to  enter  the 
race  till  late  in  the  month  of  June,  when  a  convention,  assembled  in 
Peoria,  nominated  Thomas  M.  Kilpatrick  for  governor  and  Gen.  Nathan- 
iel G.  Wilcox  for  the  second  place.  The  election  was  the  first  Tuesday 
in  August  and  the  new  governor  took  his  seat  early  in  December.  The 
canvass  was  in  progress  during  the  eventful  days  of  the  Mormon  trouble 
and  in  the  early  days  of  the  Mexican  war. 

THE  MEXICAN  WAR 

There  was  not  much  of  an  issue  in  the  canvass.  The  Democrats 
were  in  favor  of  the  Mexican  war,  while  the  Whigs  were  opposed  to  it. 
This  made  the  Whigs  unpopular.  The  Whigs  charged  French  with  be- 
ing entangled  in  the  internal  improvement  schemes  which  to  some  peo- 
ple was  a  sure  sign  of  corruption  or  of  weakness.  French  was  elected 
by  a  large  majority. 

Governor  French  entered  upon  the  duties  of  his  office  in  December, 
1846.  He  inherited  from  the  previous  administrations  some  unfinished 
problems  in  statecraft.  These  were  the  Mormon  problem,  the  internal 
improvement  problem,  the  new  constitution  problem,  and  the  Mexican 
war  problem.  Some  of  these  had  been  in  process  of  solution  for  several 
years,  while  others  were  comparatively  new. 

THE  MORMONS 

The  Mormon  question  was  by  no  means  wholly  settled  at  the  out- 
going of  Governor  Ford.  From  the  death  of  Smith  the  27th  of  June, 
1844,  to  December,  1846,  when  Governor  Ford  retired,  there  was  more 
or  less  disorder  and  violence  in  the  region  of  Hancock  county. 

The  Mormons  in  the  fall  and  winter  of  1845-6,  were  making  pre- 
paration to  remove  from  Nauvoo.  The  anti-Mormon  sentiment  was 
very  strong  in  all  the  region  of  Nauvoo,  and  efforts  were  made  to  have 
their  leaders  arrested  on  the  charge  of  counterfeiting.  But  Governor 
Ford  refused  on  the  ground  that  a  sort  of  armistice  had  been  entered 

228 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  229 

into.  Word  was  noised  abroad  that  United  States  troops  were  coming 
in  the  spring  of  '46,  and  the  exodus  was  begun  and  continued  through 
that  summer.  Their  property  was  purchased  by  Gentiles  and  by  the 
time  French  came  in  as  governor  the  Mormons  had  in  the  main  left 
Nauvoo,  but  there  was  still  a  very  unsettled  state  of  the  public  mind 
and  for  many  years  the  effects  of  the  "Mormon  wars"  were  felt  in 
the  northwestern  part  of  the  state. 

The  internal  improvement  problem  was  in  process  of  solution.  The 
incomes  of  the  state  were  not  sufficient  to  pay  the  current  expenses 
though  the  deficits  were  decreasing  from  year  to  year.  Governor  French 
recommended  to  the  legislature  that  all  the  debts  of  the  state,  includ- 
ing bonds,  scrip,  and  interest,  be  funded  and  that  the  new  bonds  be 
registered.  In  this  way  the  people  would  know  just  exactly  how  much 
they  owed  and  who  held  the  bonds,  and  counterfeiting,  which  had 
come  to  be  a  very  common  thing,  would  be  prevented.  As  a  means  of 
increasing  taxes  the  state  petitioned  congress  to  abrogate  the  clause  in 
the  enabling  act  by  which  the  state  promised  to  exempt  from  taxation 
for  five  years  after  sale,  all  government  land.  Congress  having  com- 
plied with  the  request,  the  legislature  provided  for  the  taxation  of  all 
lands.  This  greatly  aided  in  meeting  the  current  expenses,  especially 
as  considerable  land  was  bought  in  Illinois  following  the  Mexican  war. 

Texas  was  admitted  into  the  Union  in  the  summer  of  1845.  Mexico 
immediately  broke  off  diplomatic  relations  with  the  United  States. 
Gen.  Zachary  Taylor  was  ordered  to  Corpus  Christi,  near  the  terri- 
tory that  was  in  dispute  between  Texas  and  Mexico.  The  winter  of 
'45  and  '46  was  consumed  in  diplomatic  maneuvering  with  barren  re- 
sults. General  Taylor  moved  to  the  Rio  Grande  in  March,  1846.  War 
was  declared  to  exist  between  the  United  States  and  Mexico  in  the  early 
part  of  May.  The  President  of  the  United  States  was  authorized  to 
call  for  fifty  thousand  volunteers,  and  $10,000,000  were  appropriated 
to  carry  on  the  war.  The  pay  was  about  $15.00  per  month.  Under 
the  first  call  for  troops,  Illinois  was  to  have  three  regiments  of  infantry. 

There  was  at  that  time  a  militia  organization,  at  least  on  paper,  in 
the  state,  and  the  governor  raised  the  three  regiments  through  the 
officers  of  that  organization.  The  order  was  issued  for  these  troops 
May  25,  1846,  and  in  twenty  days  a  thousand  more  men  had  enlisted 
than  were  asked  for.  Alton,  on  account  of  river  transportation  south- 
ward, was  named  as  the  place  of  rendezvous.  James  Shields,  a  native 
of  Ireland,  who  had  come  to  Kaskaskia  in  1826,  at  the  age  of  sixteen, 
and  had  held  many  places  of  trust  in  Illinois,  was  made  a  brigadier 
general  to  command  the  Illinois  troops. 

It  was  the  plan  to  allow  companies  to  organize  by  electing  the  com- 
pany officers,  and  when  ten  companies  offered  their  services,  the  regi- 
mental organization  should  occur.  The  First  regiment  was  recruited 
in  the  counties  west  of  Springfield.  Col.  John  H.  Hardin,  of  Jackson- 
ville, was  given  command  of  this  regiment.  The  Second  regiment  was 
a  Southern  Illinois  regiment  and  the  organization  was  as  follows: 

Colonel,  William  H.  Bissell,  St.  Clair  county. 
Lieutenant  Colonel,  J.  L.  D.  Morrison,  St.  Clair  county. 
Major,  H.  T.  Trail,  Monroe  county. 
Adjutant,  A.  Whiteside,  Monroe  county. 
Sutler,  Lewis  J.  Clawson, 


230  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

Captains : 

Peter  Goff,  Madison  county. 

Erastus  Wheeler,  Madison  county. 

A.  Dodge,  Madison  county. 

E.  C.  Coffee,  Washington  county. 

John  S.  Hacker,  Union  county. 

L.  G.  Jones,  Perry  county. 

H.  L.  Webb,  Pulaski  county. 

Julius  Raith, 

Joseph  Lemon,- 


Madison  Miller, 

Total  men  in  at  muster,  892. 

The  Third  regiment  was  in  the  main  an  Egyptian  organization.    Its 
officers  at  muster  were  as  follows : 

Colonel,  Ferris  Foreman,  Fayette  county. 
Lieutenant  Colonel,  W.  W.  Wiley,  Bond  county. 
Major,  Samuel  D.  Marshall,  Gallatin  county. 
Adjutant,  J.  T.  B.  Stapp, 

Captains : 

J.  C.  McAdams,  Bond  county. 
M.  K.  Lawler,  Gallatin  county. 
Theodore  McGinnis,  Pope  county. 
J.  A.  Campbell,  Wayne  county. 
W.  W.  Bishop,  Coles  county. 
S.  G.  Hicks,  Jefferson  county. 
James  Freeman,  Shelby  county. 
J.  P.  Hardy,  Hamilton  county. 

Philip  Stout, 

B.  S.  Sellers, 


The  regiment  numbered  nine  hundred  and  six  men.  Colonel  Chur- 
chill, of  the  United  States  army,  inspected  and  mustered  in  the  men. 

Hon.  E.  D.  Baker,  at  that  time  a  member  of  congress,  obtained  per- 
mission from  the  secretary  of  war  to  organize  the  fourth  regiment  in 
Illinois.  The  regiment  was  accepted  by  the  government.  Nine  of  the 
companies  were  recruited  beyond  the  limits  of  Southern  Illinois — only 
the  tenth  company,  that  of  Captain  Murphy,  of  Perry  county,  being 
from  the  south  end  of  the  state. 

The  First  and  Second  regiments  left  Alton  under  the  direction  of 
General  Wool  July  17  to  19,  1846,  and  landed  at  Matagorda  bay  July 
29,  and  by  August  23,  they  were  encamped  at  San  Antonio,  Texas. 
They  left  here  September  26,  1846,  crossed  the  Rio  Grande  at  San 
Juan.  Thence  by  the  Grove  of  the  Angels  to  San  Fernando,  a  city  of 
four  thousand,  beautifully  built  and  luxuriantly  surrounded  by  run- 
ning water.  On  the  march  to  Monclova  and  thence  to  Parras,  a  city 
of  six  thousand.  This  last  named  city  was  reached  the  twenty-fifth 
of  December.  Here  word  came  to  our  little  army  that  Santa  Anna 
was  collecting  a  large  army  at  San  Luis  Potosi,  presumably  for  the 
reconquest  of  all  the  ground  thus  far  gained  by  General  Taylor.  Gen- 
eral Wool  and  General  Taylor  united  their  forces  in  a  narrow  pass  on 
the  great  road  from  Potosi  northward,  a  sort  of  Thermopylae,  a  short 
distance  from  the  village  of  Buena  Vista,  and  there  fought  the  deciding 
battle  of  the  war  in  the  north  of  Mexico. 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  231 

The  Second  Illinois  regiment,  Colonel  Bissell  commanding,  played 
an  honorable  part  in  the  battle.  The  report  of  the  battle  by  General 
Taylor  was  highly  complimentary  to  the  First  and  Second  Illinois 
regiments.  Special  mention  is  made  of  the  services  of  Lieutenant 
Colonel  Morrison,  Major  Trail,  and  Adjutant  Whitesides  of  the  Second 
regiment.  In  the  battle  Col.  John  J.  Hardin  of  the  First  Illinois  regi- 
ment and  Colonel  McKee  and  Lieutenant  Colonel  Clay  of  Kentucky 
were  killed,  and  the  burden  for  a  period  during  the  hottest  of  the 
fight  fell  upon  Colonel  Bissell.  Captain  William  Woodward  of  Com- 
pany K,  Second  regiment  and  Lieut.  Edward  Fletcher,  John  Bartle- 
son,  Rodney  Ferguson,  Aaron  Atherton,  Lauriston  Robins,  Allan  B. 
Roundtree,  William  Price,  Timothy  Kelley  and  James  C.  Steel  were 
all  killed  in  this  battle. 

The  Third  regiment  with  Colonel  Foreman  in  command  was  at- 
tached to  the  army  of  General  Scott,  and  played  an  honorable  part 
in  the  siege  of  Vera  Cruz,  and  in  the  march  to  Mexico,  Colonel  Fore- 
man being  especially  commended  in  the  report  by  General  Scott. 

The  Fifth  and  Sixth  regiments  which  contained  few  South- 
ern Illinois  people  did  not  see  any  service  in  battle  but  were  sub- 
jected to  some  severe  trials  in  marching,  and  in  garrison  duty. 

Among  the  Southern  Illinois  soldiers  in  the  Mexican  war  who  be- 
came prominent  in  the  Civil  war  were  John  A.  Logan,  Michael  K. 
Lawler,  William  R.  Morrison,  and  Stephen  G.  Hicks. 

John  A.  Logan  became  a  prominent  lawyer  of  Southern  Illinois, 
a  noted  Democratic  politician,  a  member  of  the  lower  branch  of  con- 
gress and  at  the  outbreak  of  the  war  raised  the  Thirty-first  regiment 
and  was  commissioned  its  colonel.  He  rose  rapidly  in  command  and 
finished  the  war  as  a  major  general  of  volunteers.  Michael  K.  Law- 
ler was  born  in  Ireland  in  1814.  Came  to  Gallatin  county  in  1819. 
After  returning  from  the  Mexican  war  engaged  in  farming  a  few  miles 
from  Equality,  and  when  the  Civil  war  broke  out  he  raised  the  Eigh- 
teenth regiment  and  for  meritorious  services  was  breveted  a  brigadier 
general.  He  died  on  his  farm  in  1882.  William  R.  Morrison  belonged 
to  a  noted  family  in  Southern  Illinois.  He  served  as  a  private  in  the 
Mexican  war,  returned  home  and  studied  law,  held  several  political 
offices  and  when  the  Civil  war  began  raised  the  Forty-ninth  regiment. 
He  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Fort  Donelson  where  he  was  severely 
wounded.  He  resigned  to  serve  in  congress.  He  was  a  prominent 
member  of  that  body  serving  as  chairman  of  the  ways  and  means 
committee.  He  was  honored  by  appointments  at  the  hands  of  both 
Cleveland  and  Harrison.  He  died  at  the  age  of  about  eighty-three 
at  his  home  in  Waterloo,  Monroe  county.  Stephen  G.  Hicks,  a  native 
of  Georgia,  came  to  Illinois  in  time  to  engage  in  the  Black  Hawk  war. 
He  raised  a  company  in  the  Third  regiment  in  the  Mexican  war  and 
was  promoted  finally  to  be  lieutenant  colonel  of  the  Sixth  regiment. 
He  was  colonel  of  the  Fortieth  regiment  in  the  Civil  war  and  was  dan- 
gerously wounded  in  the  battle  of  Shiloh.  He  eventually  returned  to 
his  command  and  served  with  distinction  till  the  close  of  the  war.  He 
died  in  Salem  in  1869.  Nathaniel  Niles  was  a  native  of  the  state  of 
New  York,  coming  to  Belleville  in  1842.  He  was  first  lieutenant  in 
Colonel  Bissell 's  regiment.  At  the  battle  of  Buena  Vista  he  won  dis- 
tinction and  was  promoted  to  a  captaincy  by  General  Wool.  When 
the  Civil  war  came  on  he  was  commissioned  colonel  of  the  Fifty-fourth 


232  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

regiment,  he  was  later  made  colonel  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Thirtieth. 
He  held  many  positions  of  honor  and  trust  following  the  return  of 
peace  in  1865. 

In  the  spring  of  1847  following  the  return  of  the  First  and  Second 
regiments  from  their  victories,  two  more  regiments  were  organized, 
the  Fifth  and  the  Sixth.  The  officers  were  as  follows: 

• 

Colonel,  E.  W.  B.  Newby,  Brown  county. 

Lieutenant  colonel,  Henderson  Boyakin,  Marion  county. 

Major,  J.  B.  Donaldson,  Pike  county. 

Captains : 

Company  A,  Thomas  Bond,  Clinton  county. 
Company  B,  J.  M.  Cunningham,  Williamson  county. 
Company  C,  Vantrunk  Turner,  Marion  county. 
Company  D,  John  C.  Moses,  Brown  county. 
Company  E,  G.  W.  Hook,  St.  Glair  county. 
Company  F,  Thomas  B.  Kinney,  Cook  county. 
Company  G,  Henry  J.  Reed,  La  Salle  county. 
Company  H,  James  Hampton,  Williamson  county. 
Company  I,  R.  Madison,  Shelby  county. 
Company  K,  W.  Kinman,  Pike  county. 

This  regiment  proceeded  to  the  front  by  way  of  Fort  Leavenworth 
and  thence  to  Santa  Fe.  Here  they  did  garrison  duty  and  to  while 
away  the  time  organized  the  first  Masonic  lodge  in  that  far  away  city. 

The  Sixth  regiment  was  organized  in  Alton  in  May  1847.  More 
companies  had  offered  their  services  when  the  Fifth  was  enlisted  than 
could  be  accepted  and  it  was  hoped  another  regiment  would  be  taken 
by  the  government.  The  secretary  of  war  wrote  Governor  French  as 
follows:  "Yielding  to  the  earnest  solicitations  of  the  patriotic  citizens 
of  your  state,  the  president  has  instructed  me  to  request  that  your 
excellency  will  cause  to  be  raised  and  rendezvoused  at  Alton  another 
regiment  of  volunteer  infantry." 

The  officers  were : 

Colonel,  Collins,  Jo  Daviess  county. 
Lieutenant  colonel,  Hicks,  Jefferson  county. 
Major,  Livington,  Jefferson  county. 
Adjutant  Fitch,  Greene  county. 

Captains : 

Company  A,  Franklin  Niles,  Madison  county. 
Company  B,  Edward  W.  Dill,  Madison  county. 
Company  C,  Harvey  Lee,  Fayette  county. 
Company  D,  John  Bristow,  Greene  county. 
Company  E,  Burrell  Tetrick,  Macoupin  county. 
Company  F,  James  R.  Hugunin,  Cook  county. 
Company  G,  William  Shepherd,  Boone  county. 
Company  H,  G.  Jenkins,  Will  county. 
Company  I,  James  Bowman,  Jefferson  county. 
Company  K,  C.  L.  Wright,  Jo  Daviess  county. 

This  regiment  proceeded  to  New  Orleans  and  thence  one-half  to 
Vera  Cruz  and  the  other  half  to  Tampico.  Little  real  military  service 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  233 

was  seen  by  this  regiment,  but  the  officers  and  men  suffered  from 
change  in  climate  and  water,  and  much  sickness  prevailed.  Many 
deaths  occurred  before  the  regiment  returned. 

It  is  an  old  saying  that  military  fame  is  a  passport  to  political  pre- 
ferment. This  was  certainly  true  in  Illinois  after  the  war.  Nearly 
every  man  who  won  any  distinction  in  the  war  was  honored  by  elec- 
tion to  some  political  position  in  either  state  or  nation. 

THE  CONSTITUTION  OP  1848 

The  constitution  of  1818,  made  when  our  statesmen  were  gathered 
from  among  the  farmers,  doctors,  lawyers,  traders,  and  woodsmen,  had 
never  been  remodeled.  It  was  compiled  largely  from  the  fundamental 
laws  from  other  states,  the  framers  not  knowing  from  experience  nor 
from  history  what  was  the  vital  and  essential  things  which  ought  to  be 
incorporated  in  a  state  constitution.  The  struggle  of  1824  was  not  made 
on  the  ground  that  the  constitution  needed  revision,  although  the  slav- 
ery interests  made  a  pretense  of  such  need.  The  contest  was  a  square 
fight  for  and  against  making  Illinois  a  slave  state,  on  the  same  footing, 
and  in  the  same  class  as  the  Carolinas  or  Tennessee.  Amendments  had 
been  talked  of,  but  none  ever  added. 

After  the  defeat  of  the  convention  in  1824  nothing  was  done  toward 
revising  or  amending  till  1840-1.  In  the  legislature  of  that  year  a  reso- 
lution was  adopted  calling  on  the  voters  to  express  themselves  relative 
to  a  convention  at  the  coming  state  election  in  August.  The  Democrats 
favored  such  a  convention,  but  when  a  bill  passed  the  legislature  abol- 
ishing the  circuit  court  judges  and  creating  five  new  judgeships  on  the 
supreme  bench,  all  of  which  places  were  filled  by  Democrats,  the  need 
of  a  convention  was  not  so  apparent. 

The  Democrats  now  controlled  the  legislature,  the  executive,  and  the 
courts.  When  the  election  was  held  in  August  the  Democrats  generally 
voted  against  the  proposition  to  hold  a  convention,  while  the  Whigs 
voted  for  it,  but  the  proposition  failed  to  carry.  In  1845  the  legislature 
passed  another  act  calling  on  the  people  to  vote  on  the  question  of  a 
convention  at  the  general  election  in  August,  1846.  The  proposition 
was  strongly  urged  upon  the  people  by  the  Democratic  press  and  it  was 
not  very  generally  opposed,  so  at  the  election  in  August,  1846,  the  ques- 
tion carried. 

The  next  step  was  to  pass  an  act  to  provide  for  the  convention.  This 
act  determined  the  number  of  delegates  which  should  sit  in  the  constitu- 
tional convention,  the  date  of  the  election,  which  was  fixed  for  the  third 
Monday  in  April,  1847,  and  the  date  of  the  meeting  of  the  delegates  in 
the  convention,  the  first  Monday  in  June,  1847.  There  was  no  special 
argument  against  a  convention  while  several  were  brought  forward  in 
its  favor.  Some  desirable  changes  were  as  follows: 

1.  To  abolish  life  tenure  or  long  tenure  of  office. 

2.  To  prohibit  the  legislature  from  involving  the  state  in  the  bank- 
ing business. 

3.  To  limit  the  power  of  the  state  to  borrow  money. 

4.  To  give  the  governor  the  veto  power. 

5.  To  increase  the  length  of  residence  for  the  elective  franchise. 

6.  To  take  the  power  of  electing  state  officers  from  the  legislature 
and  give  it  to  the  people. 


234  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

7.  To  fix  minimum  ages  for  members  of  the  legislature,  and  for 
state  officers. 

8.  To  abolish  eligibility  to  several  offices  at  the  same  time. 

There  were  a  number  of  other  changes  which  were  considered  dur- 
ing the  canvass  preceding  the  election  in  April.  When  the  members 
came  together  June  7,  1847,  it  was  found  that  the  Whigs  and  Demo- 
crats were  about  evenly  divided.  The  convention  organized  by  electing 
Newton  Cloud  president,  and  Henry  W.  Moore  secretary.  There  were 
one  hundred  sixty-two  delegates  in  this  body.  Among  these  men, 
prominent  on  the  Democratic  side,  were  Zadoc  Casey,  John  Dement, 
John  M.  Palmer,  Anthony  Thornton,  Walter  B.  Scates,  Willis  Allen, 
L.  B.  Knowlton,  and  Thompson  Campbell.  The  leading  Whigs  were 
Archibald  Williams,  James  W.  Singleton,  Henry  E.  Dummer,  Jesse  0. 
Norton,  Stephen  A.  Hurlbut,  David  Davis,  Cyrus  Edwards,  Samuel  D. 
Lockwood,  Stephen  T.  Logan,  and  Abner  C.  Harding.  The  session 
lasted  from  June  7  to  August  31,  1847. 

The  constitution  made  in  the  summer  of  1847  differed  from  the  one 
of  1818  in  several  points.  There  was  a  preamble  in  the  constitution  of 
1848  similar  to  the  one  in  the  constitution  of  the  United  States.  Article 
II  put  stress  upon  the  distinct  separation  of  the  three  departments  of 
government. 

In  the  legislative  department  the  following  features  may  be  noted : 
No  member  of  the  general  assembly  shall  be  elected  to  any  other  office 
during  his  term  as  a  legislator.  The  senate  shall  consist  of  twenty-five 
members  and  the  house  of  seventy-five  members  till  the  state  shall  con- 
tain a  million  people.  After  that  an  addition  of  five  in  each  house  shall 
be, made  for  every  increase  of  half  million  till  there  shall  be  fifty  sena- 
tors and  one  hundred  representatives,  when  the  number  shall  remain 
stationary.  Members  of  the  general  assembly  were  to  receive  $2  per  day 
for  the  first  forty-two  days,  and  $1  per  day  for  each  additional  day,  to- 
gether with  mileage  each  way  at  10  cents  per  mile.  The  general  as- 
sembly could  not  grant  divorces,  and  must  prohibit  the  sale  of  lottery 
tickets  in  the  state.  The  state  could  not  borrow  more  than.  $60,000  to 
carry  on  the  government,  except  in  case  of  war,  rebellion,  or  invasion. 
The  credit  of  the  state  could  not  be  used  to  advance  the  interests  of  any 
individual,  association,  or  corporation. 

In  the  executive  department  these  changes  may  be  found : 

The  governor  must  be  a  citizen  of  the  United  States  and  thirty-five 
years  of  age,  and  shall  be  a  citizen  of  the  United  States  fourteen  years 
and  have  resided  in  the  state  ten  years.  The  governor  must  reside  at 
the  seat  of  government.  He  shall  have  the  veto  power.  His  salary  was 
$1,500 — no  more.  The  secretary  of  state,  auditor,  and  treasurer  shall 
be  elected  at  the  same  time  as  the  governor  and  lieutenant  governor  are 
chosen.  The  governor  shall  issue  all  commissions. 

The  judiciary  department  shall  consist  of  a  supreme  court,  circuit 
courts,  county  courts,  and  justice  courts.  The  supreme  court  shall  con- 
sist of  three  judges  elected  from  three  judicial  circuits.  The  term  of 
office  was  nine  years  and  the  one  whose  commission  bears  the  earliest 
date  is  to  be  chief  justice.  Salary  $1,200 — no  more.  Circuit  judges, 
$1,000 — no  more.  The  legislature  may  provide  for  election  of  district 
prosecuting  attorneys  or  county  prosecuting  attorneys.  All  judges  are 
to  be  elected  by  the  qualified  voters. 

Some  miscellaneous  provisions  were  new.     The  legislature  shall  pass 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  235 

a  general  law  for  township  organization.  The  legislature  may  pass  a 
law  raising  revenue  by  a  capitation  tax  of  not  less  than  50  cents  nor 
over  $1  on  all  electors  between  twenty-one  and  sixty  years  of  age.  No 
state  bank  shall  hereafter  be  created.  All  stockholders  of  banking  asso- 
ciations issuing  bank  notes,  are  liable  for  all  debts  of  the  company. 
Article  XIII  is  a  declaration  of  rights;  there  are  twenty-six  distinct 
personal  rights  enumerated.  A  tax  of  two  mills  on  each  dollar  of  as- 
sessed valuation  was  authorized  to  constitute  a  fund  for  the  liquidation 
of  the  state's  indebtedness. 

It  was  further  provided  that  if  this  constitution  shall  be  ratified  by 
the  people,  the  governor,  secretary  of  state,  etc.,  shall  be  elected  on 
Tuesday  after  the  first  Monday  in  November,  1848.  The  governor  shall 
take  his  office  the  second  Monday  in  January  following  the  election  and 
serve  four  years. 

The  constitution  was  completed  on  August  31,  1847.  On  March  6, 
1848,  it  was  submitted  to  the  people  for  ratification.  The  vote  on  the 
constitution  stood  nearly  sixty  thousand  for,  and  nearly  sixteen  thou- 
sand against.  It  was  declared  in  force  April  1,  1848.  By  the  terms  of 
the  document  itself  an  election  should  be  held  on  Tuesday  after  the 
first  Monday  in  November,  1848,  for  governor  and  other  executive  offi- 
cers, as  well  as  for  members  of  the  legislature.  In  compliance  therewith 
an  election  was  held  on  Tuesday  after  the  first  Monday  in  November, 
1848,  at  which  election  Governor  French  was  re-elected  governor  for 
four  years  from  January  1,  1849. 

The  new  constitution  authorized  the  legislature  to  provide  for  town- 
ship organization.  In  pursuance  thereof  a  law  was  passed  in  3849 
which  allowed  counties,  when  authorized  by  a  vote  of  the  people,  to  or- 
ganize under  this  new  system.  This  new  system  of  county  organization 
is  distinctly  a  New  England  product,  and  was  therefore  championed 
by  the  northern  counties,  which  had  been  largely  settled  by  immigrants 
from  New  England  and  the  middle  states.  The  legislature  on  February 
12,  1849,  passed  a  general  law  governing  all  counties  under  township 
organization.  This  first  law  was  somewhat  imperfect,  and  has  therefore 
been  subject  to  amendments  up  till  the  present  time.  The  general  pro- 
visions may  be  briefly  stated  as  follows : 

The  three  commissioners  under  the  county  system  have  been  super- 
seded by  a  board  of  supervisors — usually  one  from  each  township — 
more  properly  town. 

Each  town  elects  its  own  assessor,  collector,  supervisor,  highway 
commissioners,  justices,  constables,  poundmaster,  and  clerk.  These  offi- 
cers perform  such  services  for  the  town  as  similar  officers  do  for  the 
county  under  county  organization.  The  board  of  supervisors  has  charge 
of  the  public  property  of  the  county,  fixes  salaries,  and  audits  the  books 
and  reports  of  all  county  officers. 

The  legal  voters  of  each  town  elect  their  town  officers  in  April  of 
each  year,  and  while  assembled  to  perform  this  duty  they  hold  what  is 
known  as  the  "town  meeting."  In  this  town  meeting  they  constitute  a 
pure  democracy  and  may  enact  such  legislation  as  is  within  the  scope 
of  their  authority  as  determined  by  the  statutes. 

An  important  law  which  was  enacted  in  Governor  French's  term 
was  known  as  the  "Homestead  Exemption  Law."  The  principle  in- 
volved in  this  act  is  very  old  in  English  law.  It  was  declared  in  Magna 
Charta.  section  20,  that  in  case  of  amercement,  the  punishment  shall  not 


236  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

extend  to  the  deprivation  of  the  debtor  of  his  necessary  means  of  mak- 
ing a  living.  That  is,  the  drayman  by  occupation  must  not  be  deprived 
of  his  horse  and  dray,  for  then  he  and  his  family  would  become  a  public 
charge.  The  demands  of  society  at  large  are  paramount  to  those  of  the 
individual.  Up  to  1851  the  only  exemption  was  on  personal  property, 
and  then  only  to  the  extent  of  $60.  The  debtor  who  might  be  permitted 
by  this  law  to  hold  a  yoke  of  oxen  against  a  creditor  might  have  no 
land  to  till  and  his  oxen  might  be  a  burden  to  him.  But  the  exemption 
law  of  1851  provides  that  a  householder  may  hold  land  to  the  value  of 
$1,000  against  the  creditor,  besides  $400  worth  of  personal  property. 
Such  laws  are  still  on  our  statute  books  and  are  seen  to  be  very  much  to 
the  advantage  of  the  poor  man  who  has  unfortunately  become  involved 
and  cannot  pay  his  debts. 

Among  all  the  matters  of  general  interest  in  Governor  French's 
administration  nothing  was  more  unfortunate  than  what  came  to  be 
called  the  "State  Policy."  The  reader  will  recall  that  under  the  con- 
stitution of  1818  the  credit  of  the  state  might  be  used  to  foster  great 
public  enterprises  such  as  banks,  railroads,  and  canals.  The  constitu- 
tion of  1848,  Article  X,  section  3,  says:  "No  state  bank  shall  hereafter 
be  created,  nor  shall  the  state  own  or  be  liable  for  any  stock  in  any  cor- 
poration or  joint  stock  association  for  banking  purposes  to  be  hereafter 
created. ' '  And  section  6  says :  ' '  The  general  assembly  shall  encourage 
internal  improvements  by  passing  liberal  general  laws  of  incorporation 
for  that  purpose. ' '  It  was  not  possible  therefore  for  the  state  to  engage 
in  any  banking  business  or  improvement  schemes,  but  they  might  grant 
charters  or  rather  pass  laws  which  would  greatly  favor  individual  effort 
along  these  lines.  It  may  also  be  recalled  that  when  the  state  was  in  the 
banking  business  that  an  effort  was  made  to  build  up  Alton  as  a  rival  of 
St.  Louis,  but  the  city  did  not  make  very  substantial  progress,  while  St. 
Louis  was  growing  rapidly.  This  state  policy  was  nothing  more  nor  less 
than  a  determination  on  the  part  of  a  majority  of  the  general  assembly 
to  withhold  charters  for  railroads  running  east  and  west  across  the 
state  unless  these  cross  roads  would  terminate  at  such  points  on  the  Illi- 
nois side  of  the  Mississippi,  and  on  the  west  side  of  the  eastern  boun- 
dary of  the  state,  as  might  be  designated  by  the  legislature.  These 
patriotic  statesmen  insisted  that  it  was  the  height  of  folly  to  say  that  as 
great  cities  could  not  be  built  up  within  the  state  as  beyond  its  limits.  In 
other  words  they  said  let  the  western  termini  of  all  cross  roads  be  Alton, 
and  then  Alton  will  become  a  great  city.  But  St.  Louis  was  already 
a  great  market  for  the  produce  of  all  southern  Illinois,  as  well  as  a 
great  wholesale  and  distributing  point.  Capitalists  were  anxious  to  con- 
nect Louisville,  Cincinnati,  and  other  cities  to  the  east  of  us  with  St. 
Louis  by  railroads,  but  this  could  not  be  done  unless  charters  could  be 
had  from  the  state  legislature  of  Illinois.  Such  permission  was  refused 
in  the  summer  of  1849. 

Then  the  people  in  the  belt  of  counties  between  Terre  Haute  and  St. 
Louis  held  a  great  convention  at  Salem  in  Marion  county  in  which  a 
plan  of  campaign  was  outlined  to  secure  so  important  a  public  enter- 
prise as  a  cross  railroad.  There  were  one  thousand  delegates,  and  three 
thousand  other  men  in  attendance.  It  was  a  formidable  gathering.  But 
this  meeting  only  put  the  state  policy  people  to  work,  and  as  a  result  a 
great  meeting  was  held  in  Hillsboro  in  Montgomery  county,  which  was 
attended  by  ten  thousand  people.  At  this  meeting  the  action  of  the 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  237 

legislature  was  endorsed  and  the  virtue  of  the  state  policy  greatly 
praised. 

Missouri  now  took  a  hand  in  the  fight  by  imposing  a  tax  of  $4.50  on 
every  $1,000  worth  of  produce  raised  beyond  the  limits  of  the  state 
when  sold  on  the  markets  of  St.  Louis.  This  tax  would  raise  about 
$150,000  annually  on  the  produce  from  Illinois.  The  law  was  finally 
declared  inoperative  by  the  Missouri  courts. 

At  a  special  session  of  the  legislature  in  the  fall  of  1849  strong  reso- 
lutions passed  the  general  assembly  sustaining  the  state  policy.  The 
outside  world  now  attacked  Illinois  and  the  matter  became  one  of  gen- 
eral interest  in  the  east. 

The  legislature  of  1852  was  more  kindly  disposed  toward  the  best 
interests  of  the  south  end  of  the  state,  and  a  beginning  was  made  by 
chartering  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  Railroad  Company.  This  conces- 
sion was  no  doubt  the  result  of  efforts  of  Douglas  and  other  prominent 
Illinois  people  in  congress  in  consideration  of  the  grant  of  land  just  made 
by  congress  for  the  construction  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad.  Public 
sentiment  was  changing,  and  in  1854,  at  a  special  session  of  the  legisla- 
ture, a  general  law  incorporating  railroad  companies  in  conformity  with 
the  sixth  section  of  Article  X,  was  passed  without  opposition. 

THE  ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD 

Railroads  made  their  advent  into  England  in  the  year  1822.  George 
Stephenson  was  the  engineer  of  the  first  road.  In  1825  a  wooden  rail 
track  was  first  used  in  America  for  the  removal  of  excavated  earth  on 
the  Delaware-Chesapeake  canal.  In  1826  Stephen  Van  Renssalear,  of 
New  York,  procured  a  charter  for  a  railroad  from  Albany  to  Schenec- 
tady.  This  was  known  as  the  Mohawk  and  Hudson  River  Railroad.  It 
began  operations  in  1831.  In  1827  the  Mauch-Chunk  Railroad  was  put 
in  operation.  The  first  built  expressly  for  locomotives  was  in  South 
Carolina — from  Charleston  to  Columbia.  It  was  chartered  in  1827  and 
was  ready  for  use  in  1829.  The  Tom  Thumb,  the  first  engine  built  in 
America,  was  constructed  for  a  road  from  Baltimore  to  Ellicott  Mills. 
It  was  built  by  Peter  Cooper,  of  New  York  city. 

On  January  28,  1831,  the  general  assembly  of  Illinois  chartered  a 
canal  or  railroad  in  St.  Clair  county.  This  is  the  first  legislation  on 
railroads  in  this  state.  On  February  15,  1831,  a  bill  providing  for  the 
substitution  of  a  railroad  for  the  canal  from  Chicago  to  the  Illinois 
river  was  passed  by  the  legislature.  From  this  time  forward  the  legis- 
lature was  very  liberal  in  granting  charters  for  railroads.  But  nothing 
was  actually  done  until  in  1837.  In  that  year  a  railroad  was  actually 
put  in  running  order  in  Illinois. 

Governor  Reynolds  says  in  his  history,  "My  Own  Times,"  that  he 
was  defeated  for  congress  in  1836  and  not  having  anything  else  to  do, 
conceived  the  idea  of  building  a  railroad  from  the  bluffs  in  St.  Clair 
county  to  a  point  on  the  river  opposite  St.  Louis,  for  the  purpose  of 
transporting  coal  to  the  market.  The  road  was  about  six  miles  long. 
The  engineer  named  a  certain  sum  of  money  as  the  cost,  but  Reynolds 
says  it  cost  twice  as  much.  The  road  was  completed  in  one  season. 
The  motive  power  was  horses.  The  road  was  not  chartered  till  1841. 

Just  who  ought  to  have  credit  for  originating  the  idea  of  a  railroad 
from  the  junction  of  the  Ohio  with  the  Mississippi  to  the  head  of  naviga- 
tion of  the  Illinois  river,  and  perhaps  with  Chicago  and  Galena,  is  not 
easy  to  determine.  It  is  stated  that  Senator  Alexander  M.  Jenkins,  of 


238  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

Jackson  county,  proposed  a  survey  of  a  route  for  a  central  railroad 
from  Cairo  to  Peru,  in  the  state  senate  in  1832. 

On  October  16,  1835,  Sidney  Breese,  afterwards  a  noted  jurist  of 
this  state,  addressed  to  Mr.  John  Y.  Sawyer,  a  prominent  gentleman  of 
Edwardsville,  a  letter  in  which  he  suggests  the  building  of  a  road  from 
Cairo  to  the  north  end  of  the  state.  This  letter  dealt  with  the  location, 
cost,  and  benefits  of  such  a  road.  Judge  Breese  afterwards  said  that 
the  matter  was  suggested  to  him  by  a  friend  of  Bond  county. 

On  January  18,  1836,  a  charter  was  granted  by  the  legislature  in- 
corporating the  "Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company."  This  charter 
provided  for  fifty-eight  incorporators,  one  of  whom  was  Judge  Breese. 
Nothing  of  any  consequence  was  done  by  this  company.  On  the 
twenty-seventh  of  February,  1837,  the  Internal  Improvement  Bill  was 
passed  and  one  of  the  important  features  was  a  railroad  from  Cairo  to 
the  northern  part  of  the  state.  $3,500,000  was  appropriated  for  its  con- 
struction. As  a  result  of  this  move  on  the  part  of  the  state,  work  was 
begun  on  the  Central  road,  as  it  was  called.  Work  was  also  begun  on 
other  roads.  The  road  from  Jacksonville  to  Meredosia  was  practically 
completed  and  an  engine  placed  on  it,  November  8,  1838.  It  was  fin- 
ished to  Jacksonville  from  Meredosia  in  January,  1840,  and  to  Spring- 
field in  1842,  February  15.  By  1843  the  state  practically  abandoned 
the  attempt  to  build  the  railroads,  though  it  had  done  considerable 
work  on  various  lines  within  the  state. 

The  Great  Western  Railway  Company  was  chartered  March  6,  1843. 
This  company  was  identical  with  the  Cairo  City  and  Canal  Company, 
previously  chartered.  This  company  spent  large  sums  of  money  in 
grading  on  the  line  from  Cairo  north  to  the  southern  terminus  of  the 
Illinois  and  Michigan  canal.  Congress  had  made  grants  of  land  so 
liberally  to  the  state  that  it  was  believed  it  would  do  so  for  this  Central 
railroad. 

Judge  Breese  and  Stephen  A.  Douglas  were  in  the  United  States 
senate  in  1847;  and  Douglas  introduced  a  bill  for  a  grant  of  land  to 
Illinois  which  was  endorsed  by  Breese  and  passed  the  senate,  but  failed 
in  the  house.  The  old  Western  Company  now  saw  a  chance  to  get  the 
grant  of  land  and  the  Illinois  legislature  was  induced  to  give  the  con- 
templated grant  to  the  Western  Company,  but  the  gift  was  afterwards 
cancelled  at  the  request  of  Senator  Douglas. 

On  September  20,  1850,  congress  gave  to  the  states  of  Illinois,  Mis- 
sissippi, and  Alabama,  a  grant  of  land  with  which  to  build  a  road  from 
the  gulf  to  the  lakes. 

The  law  granted  the  right  of  way  through  the  public  lands  between 
Cairo  and  the  canal,  and  between  the  north  end  of  this  line  and  Chi- 
cago and  Galena.  The  right  of  way  should  be  two  hundred  feet  wide. 
Congress  granted  to  the  state  every  unentered,  even-numbered  section 
for  a  space  of  six  miles  on  each  side  of  the  right  of  way ;  and  when  the 
even-numbered  section  had  been  entered  or  preempted  then  the  state 
might  choose  even-numbered  sections  in  equal  amounts  anywhere  on 
either  side  of  the  right  of  way  to  the  distance  of  fifteen  miles.  The 
road  was  to  be  begun  at  opposite  ends  at  the  same  time,  and  be  com- 
pleted within  ten  years.  The  total  grant  contained  two  million  five 
hundred  and  ninety-five  thousand  acres. 

The  government  by  the  same  act  which  made  this  munificent  gift 
to  the  state,  raised  the  price  of  land  along  this  right  of  way  in  the  odd- 


o 

H 
S3 


O 

5 

B 

O 
"3 

O2 


O 

S 

o 

> 


o 

a 


o 

> 

y, 
* 

o 
o 

s 

"S 

> 
2 

•< 


240  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

numbered  sections  to  $2.50  per  acre.  In  a  short  time  the  land  was  taken 
off  the  market  for  two  years  and  when  placed  upon  the  market  again 
it  brought  on  an  average  of  $5  an  acre. 

The  gift  was  made  to  the  state,  and  the  legislature  might  dispose 
of  it  anyway  it  chose,  provided  it  be  used  to  construct  the  railroad. 
The  government  reserved  the  right  to  use  the  road  as  a  public  high- 
way for  the  transmission  of  armies,  munitions,  and  other  government 
property,  free  of  charge  forever. 

Probably  the  government  intended  that  this  reservation  should  in- 
clude the  use  of  cars  and  engines,  but  the  courts  decided  that  the  pro- 
vision applied  only  to  the  roadbed  and  not  to  the  rolling  stock. 

Notwithstanding  the  recent  experience  in  railroad  building  by  the 
state,  there  were  those  who  thought  the  state  ought  to  build  the  road. 
Then  again  there  were  all  sorts  of  suggestions  as  to  the  towns  through 
which  the  road  should  pass,  and  as  to  the  point  from  which  the  branches 
should  diverge. 

When  the  legislature  met  in  January,  1851,  there  were  all  kinds 
of  propositions  presented  for  the  construction  of  the  Central  Railroad. 
But  a  proposition  made  by  a  company  of  men  from  New  York  and  Bos- 
ton attracted  the  attention  of  the  legislature.  It  was  in  brief  as  fol- 
lows: 

1.  The  memorialists  are  named  as  follows: 

Robert  Schuyler.  Robert  Rantoul,  Jr. 

George  Griswold.  Jonathan  Sturges. 

Gouverneur  Morris.  Thomas  W.  Ludlow. 

Franklin  Haven.  John  F.  A.  Sandford. 

Day  A.  Neal. 

2.  They  say  they  have  examined  the  route  proposed  for  the  road, 
and  they  propose  to  organize  a  company  and  employ  the  best  of  talent 
in  the  construction  of  the  road. 

3.  They  pledge  themselves  to  build  the  road  and  have  it  ready  for 
operation  by  the  fourth  of  July,  1854. 

4.  The  road  shall  be  as  well  built  as  the  road  running  from  Bos- 
ton to  Albany. 

5.  They  agree  to  pay  into  the  treasury  of  the  state  annually  .... 
per  cent  of  their  gross  earnings,  provided  the  state  will  transfer  to  the 
company  the  lands  granted  by  congress  for  the  construction  of  the 
road. 

This  proposition  became  the  basis  of  the  agreement  between  the 
state  and  the  company  afterwards  known  as  the  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
road Company.  The  rate  per  cent  of  the  gross  earnings  of  the  road 
which  should  be  paid  over  to  the  state  was  fixed  so  that  it  should  be 
"at  least"  seven  per  cent. 

At  first  glance  it  may  appear  that  the  government  was  recklessly 
liberal  in  granting  two  and  a  half  millions  of  acres  for  the  construc- 
tion of  this  railroad.  But  we  should  remember  that  there  were,  in 
1850,  thousands  of  acres  of  unentered  land,  lying  in  the  central  and 
north  part  of  the  state,  which  had  lain  there  on  the  market  for  from 
ten  to  twenty-five  years.  The  price  was  $1.25  per  acre.  And  it  is 
said  that  after  the  Mexican  war,  soldiers  who  had  received  their  land 
warrants  were  willing  to  take  from  50  to  60  cents  on  the  dollar  in  cash 
for  these  warrants.  In  this  way  many  people  got  cheap  lands  by  buy- 
ing up  land  warrants  and  using  them  in  locating  homesteads.  As  soon 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  257 

Mr.  Lincoln  sent  a  short  note  in  which  he  agreed  to  the  above  ar- 
rangement. 

At  that  time  there  were  nine  congressional  districts  in  the  state. 
The  Seventh,  Eighth,  and  part  of  the  Ninth  comprehended  all  the  terri- 
tory we  now  call  Southern  Illinois.  The  following  counties  constituted 
the  Seventh  district:  Logan,  Macon,  Piatt,  Moultrie,  Coles,  Edgar, 
Clark,  Cumberland,  Payette,  Effingham,  Jasper,  Crawford,  Lawrence, 
Richland,  and  Clay.  The  member  in  congress  from  this  district  was 
Hon.  Aaron  Shaw  of  Lawrenceville.  The  Eighth  district  included  the 
counties  of  Madison,  Bond,  St.  Clair,  Washington,  Marion,  Jefferson, 
Monroe  and  Randolph.  The  Hon.  Robert  Smith  of  Alton  was  the  rep- 
resentative. The  Ninth  district  included  eighteen  counties  as  follows: 
Wabash,  Edwards,  Wayne,  Perry,  Franklin,  Hamilton,  White,  Galla- 
tin,  Saline,  Williamson,  Jackson,  Union,  Johnson,  Pope,  Hardin, 
Massae,  Pulaski,  and  Alexander.  The  Hon.  Samuel  S.  Marshall,  of  Mc- 
Leansboro,  was  the  representative. 

The  first  joint  debate  was  at  Ottawa.  It  was  held  in  the  public 
square  and  was  largely  attended.  The  second  debate  was  at  Freeport, 
and  the  third  at  Jonesboro. 

SOME  MATTERS  OP  LOCAL  INTEREST 

Without  doubt  the  Lincoln-Douglas  debate  which  occurred  in  Jones- 
boro, Union  county,  September  15,  1858,  was  the  most  memorable,  pro- 
found and  far-reaching  political  event  which  ever  occurred  in  Southern 
Illinois.  Southern  Illinois  had  been  the  cradle  of  French  interests  in 
the  Mississippi  valley.  It  was  the  seat  of  British  power  west  of  the 
Alleghanies.  Here  Gen.  George  Rogers  Clark  unfurled  the  flag  of  the 
infant  republic.  Southern  Illinois  furnished  the  first  governors,  the 
first  congressmen,  the  first  United  States  senators,  and  the  first  supreme 
court  judges  of  the  Prairie  state.  The  names  of  Nathaniel  Pope,  Ninian 
Edwards,  Rev.  J.  M.  Peck,  Morris  Birkbeck,  Sidney  Breese,  James 
Shields.  Wm.  H.  Bissell,  John  Reynolds,  John  Rice  Jones,  Elias  Kent 
Kane,  Jesse  B.  Thomas,  Shadrach  Bond,  Daniel  P.  Cook,  Joseph  Dun- 
can, James  Hall,  Gustavus  Koerner,  John  A.  McClernand,  Henry 
Eddy,  Joseph  Duncan,  Elijah  P.  Lovejoy,  Joseph  Gillespie,  and  E.  D. 
Baker  were  as  household  words  in  Southern  Illinois.  Among  these 
honored  sons  were  distinguished  lawyers,  profound  jurists,  able  states- 
men, patriots,  soldiers,  and  orators.  The  rank  and  file  of  the  people  of 
this  end  of  the  state  were  familiar  with  the  above  named  citizens. 
They  were  familiar  figures  in  the  various  sections  of  Southern  Illinois. 
They  had  often  been  heard  in  public  gatherings.  They  compared  quite 
favorably  with  honored  sons  of  other  states.  But  when  we  bring  Lin- 
coln and  Douglas  into  this  galaxy  of  bright  stars,  their  magnitude 
diminishes  perceptibly.  Lincoln  and  Douglas  were  stars  of  the  first 
magnitude  and  the  lustre  of  our  local  stars  passes  into  the  third,  fourth 
or  fifth  class  of  political  luminaries.  It  was.  therefore,  a  rare  treat  for 
the  citizenship  of  Southern  Illinois  to  be  privileged  to  have  the  oppor- 
tunity of  hearing  and  seeing  these  two  men.  It  is  not  at  all  likely  that 
either  of  these  two  men  had  ever  been  seen  in  Southern  Illinois  except 
perhaps  as  lawyers  at  the  bar.  It  is  said  that  Lincoln  attended  court 
in  the  old  stone  court  house  in  Thebes,  between  1845  and  1860.  At 
any  rate,  the  coming  of  these  two  men  was  an  event  of  extraordinary 
importance. 


258  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

The  plan  of  campaign  adopted  by  both  Douglas  and  Lincoln  was  to 
have  a  number  of  speaking  dates  at  points  on  the  line  of  travel  in  going 
from  one  joint  debate  to  the  next  one.  Thus  there  were  seven  days 
between  the  Ottawa  debate  and  the  Freeport  debate,  and  about  twenty 
days  between  the  Freeport  and  the  Jonesboro  meetings.  This  space  of 
twenty  days  was  used  by  each  of  the  gentlemen  in  doing  a  number  of 
lesser  engagements  throughout  the  country. 

Mr.  Horace  White,  now  of  New  York  city,  was  at  that  time  a  per- 
sonal companion  of  Mr.  Lincoln  on  all  his  campaigns  during  the  period 
of  the  joint  debate.  He  has  left  a  complete  itinerary  of  Mr.  Lincoln's 
journeyings  from  Freeport  to  Jonesboro.  From  Freeport  Mr.  Lincoln 
and  Mr.  White  went  to  Carlinville,  where  John  M.  Palmer  and  Lin- 
coln had  a  joint  discussion.  Thence  to  Clinton,  Bloomington,  Monti- 
cello,  Paris,  where  Owen  P.  Lovejoy,  the  great  abolition  orator,  spoke 
with  Lincoln.  From  there  to  Hillsboro,  Greenville,  and  thence  to  Ed- 
wardsville.  This  place  was  reached  on  September  the  13th.  Here 
Judge  Joseph  Gillespie  presided  and  greatly  encouraged  Mr.  Lincoln. 
This  Edwardsville  meeting,  it  will  be  noticed,  was  only  a  dozen  miles 
from  Alton,  where  the  last  joint  meeting  was  to  be  held.  From  Ed- 
wardsville Mr.  Lincoln  and  Mr.  White  went  to  Alton,  thence  to  Spring- 
field, thence  to  Decatur  and  from  that  point  direct  to  Anna  on  the 
Illinois  Central. 

The  whereabouts  of  Douglas  from  the  Freeport  meeting  for  a  few 
days  have  not  been  traced,  but  the  St.  Louis  Daily  Morning  Herald  of 
Saturday,  September  11,  1858,  has  an  account  of  a  visit  of  Douglas  to 
Belleville.  He  went  from  St.  Louis  to  Belleville  on  a  special  train  car- 
rying twelve  coaches  loaded  with  Douglas  enthusiasts.  It  appears  that 
Douglas  and  Mrs.  Douglas  had  been  visiting  in  St.  Louis.  Mrs.  Douglas 
accompanied  her  husband  to  Belleville.  Of  Mrs.  Douglas  the  Herald 
says :  "Of  the  beauty  and  grace  of  this  lady  much  has  been  said ;  and 
all  who  saw  her  yesterday  are  quite  ready  to  testify,  with  entire  truth." 

From  Belleville,  where  Douglas  spoke  on  the  10th  of  September,  he 
went  to  Waterloo  on  Saturday  the  llth.  Just  where  he  spent  Sun- 
day is  not  certain,  but  on  Monday  the  13th  he  spoke  in  Chester.  That 
night  he  boarded  the  "James  H.  Lucas,"  a  river  steamboat  plying  be- 
tween St.  Louis  and  Memphis.  By  Tuesday  morning,  September  14th, 
he  rounded  the  southern  end  of  the  peninsula  and  steamed  into  the 
Ohio  and  within  less  than  an  hour  had  landed  on  the  wharfboat  at  Cairo. 

POLITICAL  SITUATION  IN  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  IN  1858 

In  the  summer  of  1857,  Douglas  and  Buchanan  came  to  the  part- 
ing of  the  ways.  The  Lecompton  constitution  was  presented  for  its  ac- 
ceptance. Douglas,  and  Governor  Walker  of  Kansas,  had  both  pro- 
tested against  the  acceptance.  Buchanan  yielded  to  the  demands  of  the 
slave  power  and  recommended  the  acceptance.  Doxiglas  had  preached 
state  sovereignty  with  all  his  might  and  now  it  looked  as  if  his  whole 
theory  was  to  be  cast  to  the  winds  by  the  administration. 

When  Douglas  reached  Washington  for  the  sitting  of  congress  in 
December.  1857.  he  called  on  Buchanan  and  they  went  over  all  the 
ground.  Douglas  told  the  President  that  he  would  denounce  the 
Lecompton  constitution  on  the  floor  of  the  senate.  This  he  did  in  a 
great  speech  in  which  he  defined  the  slave  power.  The  fight  between 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  259 

Douglas  on  one  side,  assisted  by  a  few  brave  souls,  and  the  slave  power 
on  the  other,  was  dragged  on  till  June  16,  1858,  when  congress  ad- 
journed. 

Illinois  Democracy  sympathized  with  Douglas  and  there  grew  up  two 
factions  known  as  the  Administration  faction  and  the  Douglas  faction. 
The  regular  Democratic  state  convention  met  in  Springfield  April 
21,  1858.  Douglas'  course  in  congress  was  warmly  endorsed.  Win.  B. 
Fonday  was  nominated  for  treasurer  and  ex-Gov.  A.  C.  French  was 
named  for  state  superintendent  of  public  instruction.  When  it  came 
to  the  resolutions  which  indorsed  Douglas  there  was  a  bolt  of  all  the 
anti-Douglas  delegates.  They  assembled  in  another  room  and  after 
some  deliberation  called  a  state  convention  to  be  held  in  Springfield, 
June  9,  1858.  The  convention  was  accordingly  held.  There  were  rep- 
resentatives present  from  forty-eight  counties.  John  Dougherty  of 
Jonesboro,  Union  county,  was  named  as  the  candidate  for  state  treas- 
urer; and  ex-Gov.  John  Reynolds  of  Belleville,  St.  Glair  county,  was 
the  candidate  for  state  superintendent  of  public  instruction.  The 
party  title  was  the  National  Democratic  party.  Douglas  was  de- 
nounced by  the  convention  and  the  praises  of  Buchanan  were  sung. 
The  convention  was  in  a  large  measure  made  up  of  federal  office  hold- 
ers throughout  the  state,  together  with  a  few  disaffected  politicians  here 
and  there.  It  was  urged  that  candidates  for  congress  and  for  local 
offices  be  put  forward  everywhere. 

Senator  Douglas  felt  he  must  defend  himself  in  the  senate,  and  a 
week  later  made  a  speech  in  which  he  denounced  the  "bolters"  con- 
vention, calling  the  party  Danites.  This  name  stuck  to  the  Buchanan 
or  Administration  Democrats  during  the  entire  canvass. 

The  Republicans  had  nominated  Mr.  D.  L.  Phillips,  of  Anna,  for 
congress  in  the  Ninth  congressional  district.  The  Regular  Democratic 
organization  had  nominated  Mr.  John  A.  Logan,  of  Benton,  while  the 
' '  Danites, ' '  as  Douglas  called  them,  the  Administration  Democrats,  nom- 
inated Mr.  Wm.  K.  Parrish.  In  the  Twenty-fifth  Senatorial  district 
for  state  senator  the  Douglas  party  put  forward  A.  J.  Kuykendall,  of 
Vienna,  the  Buchanan  party  put  forward  Aaron  R.  Stout.  In  the  First 
Representative  district,  made  up  of  the  counties  of  Union,  Alexander, 
and  Pulaski,  the  candidate  for  the  Douglas  party  for  state  representative 
was  Wm.  A.  Hacker ;  for  the  Administration  party,  John  S.  Hunsaker. 

To  show  the  disaffection  of  the  Danites  we  append  the  vote  for  the 
several  positions: 

For  representatve :  Wm.  A.  Hacker — Alexander  county,  322;  Pu- 
laski county,  554;  Union  county,  566;  total,  1,442. 

John  S.  Hunsaker — Alexander  county,  24;  Pulaski  county,  113; 
Union  county,  620;  total,  757. 

For  state  senator:  A.  J.  Kuykendall — Alexander  county,  307;  Un- 
ion county,  558 ;  Johnson  county,  816 ;  Pulaski  county,  579 ;  Pope 
county,  608 ;  Massac  county,  636 ;  Hardin  county,  309 ;  Gallatin  county, 
610;  total,  4,425. 

Aaron  R.  Stout — Alexander  county,  225 ;  Union  county,  561 ;  John- 
son county,  29 :  Pulaski  county,  78 ;  Pope  county,  25 ;  Massac  county, 
27 ;  Hardin  county,  46 ;  Gallatin  county,  395 ;  total,  1,386. 

It  was  probably  because  of  the  fact  that  the  Buchanan  forces  were 
so  strong  in  the  extreme  southern  counties  that  Douglas  named  Jones- 
boro as  the  point  where  the  joint  discussion  should  occur  in  the  Ninth 


I     DUGLAS  HAS  HUM. 

Immense  Gathering! 

TlIE  MAS&KS  IN-COUNCILM 


lif.i  El'.  ••.»   EV 
HITTBSUJ 


THE  COMMITTEE! 
•3713.0 


ICK   WATF.U! 


MUCH  ENTHUSIASM. 
Twelve  Men  Civc  Cheers! 

i  DUG  APPEARS  AT  THE  WINDOW  AND 

SMILES!!! 


SEVEX    CHEERS  FOR  llARilULL,   UY  THE    I1IMOR- 
Til.  TWELVE  ! 


Ye  Refrigerating  Committee! 
ITS   3DOIKTS! 


YE  SHORT  AND  YE  TALL  MAKE  CON- 
NEXIONS! 


TUB  KUOUED  ROAD  l;i>  THE  LEVEE  WITH 
NARY    CilKKlt!! 

ENTHUSIASM!! 

C  II  IE  33  ]E*.  S  . 

DOUGLAS,  A  LONG  MAN  AND  A  SHO*T 
MAN!!t 

FOUR  BANNERS .' 

A  F"L~A  G  !  ^ 

Yesterday  morning  about  9  o'clock  the 
'Jam  rail.  Lucas,,  with  the  liP.iputian  giant, 
OD  board,  Announced  her  coming  by  tho  re- 
port of  a  tnnnon,  wheroapovt  tile  committee 
nppointed'for  the  purpose  hoisted  their  col- 
j  lars,  strai&hlcned  ilicir  hair  ami  mustaches, 
wiped  the  last  "liokev"  off  their   lips    with 
their  coat   sleeves,  and  made   tracka  for  tho 
wharf  boiit.    As  soon  as  the  boat  landed,  .1 
cannon  brought  frpiu    Mound  City  Tor  the 
i  purpofe  (tbC'.brngs  piece  here  is  n  Iluchanun 
j  cannon,  and  would   certainly  have  bursted 
on  such   an  occasion)  commenced  belchiug. 
The    committee  then    went    to  the    Luoas. 
Judge  Dn.glas.vM  visible  and  the  chairman 
said  "llow  d'ye  do  Mr.  DV"  a*  natural  as 
possible.  Mr.  D.  replied  "1  nci  tolcrnblc!" 
The  rest  of  the  committee  were  then  intro- 
.duet'd  to  the  circus  giant,.  r.EcI  a  procession 
was  formed. 


wns  Mr  Doajlos!  adorned  on 
Op«  sid?  bjr:Xlr..S.  S.  Tajlor,  sis  feet  tw'a  or 
seven  ipohei  .high,  and  on  tho  other  by  Mr. 
S.  S.  Brooks,  five  feet  four  innh^s  high.  Mr. 
Dougllu  dad  on  a  white  hat,  and  a  coat. 
;"Tho  bilnnc?  of  the  procession  consisted  of 
fifteen  Or  twenty  persons  who  marched  up  to 
the  top  of  the  levee,  where  they  were  met 
by  four  banners,  one  Sag,  ami  ton  or  fifteen 
more  people,  M'h'b  jOincJ  t'uem  proitiscunns- 
Ij.  Tbt  iojposinjr  spccUile  thei  moved, 
IcJ  on  by  tho  immortal  twelve,  up  to  \Vnite< 
corner,  tlicncc  down  to  Bailey  HarreH-s 
and. thence  down  commercial  avenue  to  the 
Tailor  House.  I{erc  was  the  grand  display. 
Little  .Mr,  Douglas  'and  his-  Inrgo  white  hat 
•went  Aito  thr-l>^l6f  House  parior,  followed 
by  several  of  thf>  committee.  About  a  doz- 
en of  the  fanhful  had  collected  nt  tho  cor- 
ner, nnd  one  of  them  proposed  thicc  cheers 
for  Mr.  Douglas.  An  attempt  was  made  to 
give  them,  but  barring  the  nfores  iid  dozen 
or  two  it  wan  r,n  ignominious  failure.  Thrco 
cheers  were  tht.i  proposed  foj-  Sain  M  ira'iall 
which  were  piven  bv  aloat  eight  persons  in 
the  very  wealiest  kiud  of  stj-le.  When  Mr. 
Doagtas  was  ibcered,  he  appeared  at  t'jo 
pail'»  window,  and  smiled  very  benignly 
upon  the  crowd.  One  of  the  committee  then 
ftppeiired  at  tb4  window,  called  the  attention 
of  the  crowd,  and  stated  th.it  Mr.  Douglas* 
time  was  too  much  occupied  with  speaking 
an  die  could  ml  speak  more  than  once  aday, 
ipeflkin^  wsi^d  therefore  be  commenced  at 
"2  o'clock.  Thocrowd  quietly  dispersed  with- 
out a  word,  sute  from  one  man,  who  exclaim- 
ed, "IVeil,  I«t  him  rip,  then!"  Tho  bund 
theu.  played  e!  e  more  tun?,  and  everything 
was  soon  quitt  as  if  Mr.  Douglas  w^s  n>f  in 
town.  From  the  time  of  his  arrival  on  the 
Lucuiti!.  bcuicnched  the  Taylor  House,  there 
was  not  the  least  enthusiasm  among  the 
crowd —  not  even  a  cheer  was  proposed,  and 
tho  mirch  through  the  hot  sun  was  gloomy 
indeed.  Aidjgother,  it  waj  the  flattest,  drv- 
est  and  moH  insipid  reception  we  ever  saw. 

LATER. 

At  1  o'cluVjt  Mr.  D.  assembled  himself  up- 
on a  platfurui  which  had  been  erected  for 
his  benefit  iv  front  of  tho  Taylor  House, and 
diilircred  bi<  stereotyped  speech.  The  re- 
mainder of-  the  day  was  spent  in  vari- 
ous amusements  until  evening,  whin  the 
ball  commorfCed.  Politics  having  been  con- 
fined to  the.  kitchen,  the  ball  went  off  very 
pleasantly.  Judge  Douglas'  enthusiastic  (?) 
tcceplion,  v,-i'.l  Ion,-;  bo  remembered  by  our 
ci.iiar.5.  Terily  tture  «as  ice  raise1!  with  it. 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  261 

congressional  district.  Mr.  A.  J.  Phillips  now  a  citizen  of  Anna,  son 
of  David  L.  Phillips,  who  in  1858  was  the  candidate  of  the  Republican 
party  for  congress  in  the  Ninth  district,  says  his  father  told  him  that 
Lincoln  did  not  want  to  come  to  Jonesboro  to  debate,  as  he  thought 
there  was  no  chance  to  elect  any  of  the  Republican  candidates  from  that 
region  to  the  general  assembly.  But  Mr.  D.  L.  Phillips  and  Mr.  Lincoln 
were  great  friends  and  the  former  prevailed  on  Mr.  Lincoln  to  come. 

WHEN  DOUGLAS  CAME  TO  CAIRO 

We  have  already  mentioned  the  fact  that  Douglas  reached  Cairo 
on  his  way  to  Jonesboro  Tuesday  morning,  September  14th.  Old  citi- 
zens now  in  Cairo  have  a  very  distinct  recollection  of  that  noted  occa- 
sion. By  reference  to  the  vote  in  Alexander  county  that  fall,  we  find 
Douglas'  friend,  Wm.  A.  Hacker,  received  322  votes  while  Mr.  Hun- 
saker  received  only  24.  Douglas  was  therefore  in  the  midst  of  his 
friends.  However,  the  paper  published  in  Cairo  at  that  time,  the  Cairo 
Weekly  Times  and  Delta,  was  very  bitterly  opposed  to  Douglas,  as  the 
extract  on  the  preceding  page  will  show,  this  being  taken  from  the  issue 
of  September  15,  1858. 

From  personal  interviews,  and  correspondence  with  men  who  were 
in  Cairo  at  the  time,  the  following  may  be  stated:  A  brass  band  of 
twelve  pieces  from  Jonesboro  had  been  engaged  to  come  to  Cairo  and 
furnish  music  for  the  Douglas  reception.  It  was  under  the  leadership 
of  Prof.  Joseph  E.  Terpinitz.  The  reception  committee  consisted  of 
Col.  S.  Staats  Taylor,  Col.  John  S.  Hacker,  S.  S.  Brooks,  B.  O'Shaugh- 
nessy,  Capt.  Abe  Williams,  Capt.  Billy  Williams,  Mose  Harrell,  mayor 
of  Mound  City,  John  Q.  Harmon,  M.  S.  Ensminger,  Henry  H.  Kandee, 
H.  Too  Aspern,  Ed  Willett,  and  others.  The  committee  had  provided 
a  small  cannon.  The  committee,  the  band,  and  the  cannon  were  on  the 
wharf  when  the  James  H.  Lucas  landed  at  the  wharf  boat.  The  cannon 
was  fired  several  times  and  quite  a  crowd  gathered  to  welcome  the  dis- 
tinguished guest.  It  seems  certain,  however,  that  enthusiasm  was  not 
at  a  high  pitch. 

The  band  led  the  way  and  the  committee  with  Douglas  marched  to 
the  Taylor  House,  a  three-story  wooden  hotel  that  stood  on  the  south- 
west corner  of  Fourth  and  Commercial  avenue.  Mrs.  Douglas  accom- 
panied the  Senator  and  they  were  guests  at  the  Taylor  House.  The 
band  played  a  piece  or  two  and  the  crowd  dispersed.  Arrangements 
had  been  made  for  speaking  in  the  afternoon.  A  few  prominent  people 
were  guests  at  the  hotel  for  dinner. 

The  speaking  occurred  early  in  the  afternoon.  Men  who  were  there 
seem  to  think  the  audience  was  not  demonstrative.  Evidently  there 
were  few,  if  any,  of  the  leaders  of  the  party  present  except  local  nota- 
bles. Capt.  W.  W.  Williams,  now  of  Cairo,  thinks  Josh  Allen.  John 
A.  Logan  and  Gen.  Uriah  Linder  were  present.  Captain  Williams 
says  Douglas  seemed  to  be  feeling  the  strain  of  the  campaign  and  spoke 
with  considerable  difficulty. 

An  interesting  story  is  told  by  Captain  Williams.  He  says  he  called 
at  the  Taylor  House  to  pay  his  respects  and  was  introduced  to  Mrs. 
Douglas  in  the  kitchen,  where  she  was  assisting  in  making  pies  for  the 
dinner  or  noon  meal,  as  they  were  expecting  many  guests.  Other  citi- 
zens confirm  the  story.  Hon.  W.  T.  Dowdall.  now  of  Memphis,  Ten- 


262  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

nessee,  was  a  prominent  participant  in  the  reception  of  Senator  Doug- 
las, and  has  rendered  valuable  help  in  the  preservation  of  the  details 
of  that  memorable  day.  He  has  much  to  say  of  the  charm  of  Mrs. 
Douglas.  His  notion  is  that  she  was  of  inestimable  service  to  her  hus- 
band in  this  noted  canvass. 

It  would  probably  not  be  wide  of  the  truth  to  say  that  the  visit  of 
Senator  and  Mrs.  Douglas  to  Cairo  on  their  way  to  Jonesboro  was  more 
a  social  event  than  it  was  a  political  affair.  Great  preparations  were 
made  for  a  reception  and  ball  to  be  given  in  the  Tayor  House  on  the 
evening  of  the  14th.  The  evening  meal  was  served  promptly  and  elab- 
orate preparations  were  made  in  the  large  dining  room  for  the  social 
functions.  This  feature  seems  to  have  been  in  charge  of  Hon.  Win. 
A.  Hacker,  C.  G.  Simons,  H.  Watson  Webb,  and  others.  Professor  Ter- 
pinitz  and  his  musicians  furnished  the  music,  Senator  and  Mrs.  Doug- 
las led  the  grand  march.  Mrs.  Douglas,  never  weary  of  service  in  the 
cause  of  her  noted  husband,  danced  with  many  of  the  noted  gentlemen 
present,  particularly  Colonel  Taylor  and  Captain  Billy  Williams.  Sen- 
ator Douglas  needed  to  husband  his  resources  for  the  great  conflict  on 
the  morrow,  so  he  retired  early,  but  the  "younger  set"  kept  up  the 
dance  till  the  wee  hours  of  the  morning. 

On  the  morning  of  the  15th  a  special  train  stood  ready  upon  the 
Illinois  Central  tracks  to  convey  the  Little  Giant  and  his  party  to  the 
little  village  of  Anna,  in  Union  county,  where  they  would  debark  for 
the  historic  town  of  Jonesboro.  The  train  consisted  of  several  coaches; 
attached  to  the  rear  was  a  flat  car  upon  which  was  a  cannon  manned 
by  the  "Cairo  artillerymen."  There  was  not  a  large  crowd  of  Cairoites 
who  went  to  Jonesboro.  Professor  Terpinitz  thinks  the  cannon  was 
fired  often  on  the  way  to  Anna.  The  country  passed  through  was 
mostly  timbered  and  hilly  and  he  says  the  reverberations  of  the  artillery 
waked  the  natives.  Anria  was  reached  about  noon,  and  after  some  de- 
lay a  procession  was  formed  and  the  party  marched  to  Jonesboro  a 
mile  west. 

The  following  extract  from  the  Chicago  Journal  of  September  16, 
1858,  is  of  interest,  as  it  helps  to  settle  some  matters  which  the  oldest 
inhabitant  does  not  remember. 

"(Special  Correspondence  of  the  Journal). 

"Just  as  we  go  to  press,  we  received  a  letter  from  Southern  Illinois, 
a  portion  only  of  which  we  can  publish  today : 

"CAIRO.  Sept.  14,  1858. 

"  *  *  *  Senator  Douglas  with  his  cannon  arrived  here  yesterday 
(it  should  read  today)  and  made  a  speech  (today)  to  the  assembled 
Cairoites.  Linder,  Judge  Marshall,  and  John  Logan  also  had  their 
say.  We  did  not  get  here  in  time  to  hear  the  speeches.  In  the  morn- 
ing, Douglas  and  his  cannon  proceed  to  Jonesboro,  where  he  meets  Mr. 
Lincoln  in  debate  before  the  Egyptians,  for  the  first  time,  tomorrow 
afternoon.  Mr.  Lincoln  is  already  there,  having  come  down  on  the 
same  train  which  brought  us  to  Cairo.  He  was  received  bv  a  number 
of  friends  at  the  depot  (in  Anna)  and  is  the  guest  of  Mr.  Dresser. 

"He  looks  well,  feels  strong,  and  is  full  of  courage  as  he  has  every 
reason  to  be.  A  warm  time  is  expected  tomorrow,  and  we  hear  some 
whispers  of  a  proposed  attempt  on  the  part  of  Missourians  and  Ken- 
tuckians,  who  are  coming  over  to  shout  for  Douglas,  to  "put  down" 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  263 

Lincoln.  But  we  cannot  believe  that  the  attempt  will  be  made.  Mr. 
Lincoln  will  not  be  without  friends  at  the  meeting.  We  find  that  he 
is  personally  popular  even  here  in  Egypt." 

A  correspondent  for  the  Chicago  Journal,  writing  from  Jonesboro 
at  the  close  of  the  debate,  and  reviewing  the  day 's  doings,  says :  ' '  The 
extra  excursion  train  from  Cairo,  for  the  State  Fair  at  Centralia, 
brought  up  Senator  Douglas  and  his  cannon  this  evening  (evidently 
afternoon  as  the  train  reached  Anna  about  noon  or  shortly  thereafter). 
We  came  upon  the  same  train  and  were  surprised  that  notwithstanding 
the  cannon  was  fired  on  the  arrival  at  each  station  not  a  solitary  cheer 
was  given  nor  any  sign  of  enthusiasm  manifested  .  .  .  between 
Cairo  and  Jonesboro.  .  .  .  When  the  train  arrived  at  the  station, 
his  cannon  (he  always  carries  it  with  him,  on  an  extra  wood  car  at- 
tached to  the  train)  fired  his  own  salute." 

Another  correspondent  to  the  Press  and  Tribune  says:  "Shortly 
before  two  o'clock  the  people  entered  the  fair  grounds,  a  little  north  of 
the  town,  where  the  speaking  stand  had  been  erected.  The  inevitable 
brass  cannon  was  there  before  them  filling  the  yard  with  a  loud  noise 
and  a  bad  smell." 

LINCOLN  IN  ANNA  AND  JONESBORO 

Mr.  Lincoln  reached  Anna  from  the  north  probably  about  2  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon  of  the  fourteenth.  He  was  accompanied  by  Mr.  Hor- 
ace White,  Mr.  D.  L.  Phillips,  and  probably  Mr.  Robert  R.  Hitt,  the 
shorthand  reporter.  In  the  letter  above  to  the  Journal,  the  correspond- 
ent says  he  was  to  be  the  guest  of  Mr.  Dresser,  but  Mr.  A.  J.  Phillips, 
son  of  D.  L.  Phillips,  says  his  father  entertained  Mr.  Lincoln.  Mr.  A.  J. 
Phillips  was  eleven  years  old  and  he  says  he  remembers  the  occasion 
in  all  its  details.  The  elder  Phillips  had  an  office  in  a  two-story  frame 
building  about  where  the  Miller  opera  house  stands  and  Messrs.  Phil- 
lips, Lincoln,  Hitt  and  White,  possibly  others,  spent  some  time  in  the 
office,  and  later  Mr.  Lincoln  went  to  the  home  of  Mr.  Phillips  on  the 
north  side  of  the  street  from  Anna  to  Jonesboro  and  remained  over 
night.  Messrs.  Hitt  and  White  went  to  Jonesboro  and  stayed  over 
night  at  the  Union  Hotel,  which  is  situated  on  the  east  side  of  the  public 
square.  In  all  probability  Mr.  Lincoln  and  Mr.  Phillips  were  at  the 
hotel  for  some  time  in  the  evening,  for  Mr.  Horace  White,  now  of  New 
York,  writes  as  follows:  "The  only  thing  I  recall  at  Jonesboro  was 
not  political  and  not  even  terrestrial.  It  was  the  splendid  appearance 
of  Donati's  comet  in  the  sky,  the  evening  before  the  debate.  Mr.  Lin- 
coln greatly  admired  this  strange  visitor,  and  he  and  I  sat  for  an  hour 
or  more  in  front  of  the  hotel  looking  at  it."  Mr.  White  further  says: 
"The  country  people  came  into  the  little  town  with  ox  teams  mostly, 
and  a  very  stunted  breed  of  oxen,  too.  Their  wagons  were  old-fash- 
ioned, and  looked  as  though  they  were  ready  to  fall  to  pieces." 

On  the  morning  of  the  fifteenth  Dr.  Me  Vane,  a  prominent  Demo- 
crat, who  lived  near  Mr.  Phillips,  offered  to  take  Mr.  Lincoln  and  Mr. 
Phillips  out  driving.  Mr.  Lincoln  consented.  Dr.  McVane  was  quite 
a  horse  fancier  and  drove  a  fine  span  of  matched  geldings.  When  they 
were  ready  to  start  Dr.  McVane  asked  young  Phillips  to  go  with  them 
and  of  course  the  youngster  was  glad  of  the  chance.  The  four  drove 


264  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

over  to  Jonesboro,  around  the  town,  and  westward  along  the  picturesque 
road  leading  to  Willard's  Landing  on  the  Mississippi  river.  They  re- 
turned and  Mr.  Lincoln  made  some  calls,  one  of  which  was  to  the  home 
of  a  Mrs.  Hacker,  a  daughter-in-law  of  Col.  John  Hacker  and  wife  of 
Dr.  Hacker.  Some  years  ago  Mrs.  Dr.  Hacker  gave  the  writer  the 
story  of  the  visit  of  both  Mr.  Lincoln  and  Senator  Douglas.  She  says 
when  Lincoln  called  she  had  in  her  arms  a  six  weeks'  old  baby.  She 
observed  his  ungainly  appearance,  the  awkward  gait,  the  long,  bony 
hand,  the  kindly  look  in  the  eyes,  the  sympathetic  conversation,  etc. 
He  stayed  but  a  few  moments,  fondled  the  child  and  departed.  Doug- 
las also  called.  He  was  tastily  attired,  his  hands  encased  in  kid  gloves, 
and  everything  denoted  the  air  of  a  cultured  gentleman.  In  his  visit 
to  the  home  he  strengthened  the  ties  already  strong  between  himself 
and  the  Hackers,  the  most  influential  name  in  the  extreme  south  end 
of  the  state  at  that  time. 

Mr.  A.  J.  Phillips  says  they  returned  to  Anna  for  an  early  dinner 
and  within  a  short  time  the  village  was  startled  by  the  roar  of  a 
cannon.  Everybody  rushed  to  the  station  and  a  large  crowd  of  people 
welcomed  the  Little  Giant.  Mr.  Horace  White  says:  "I  was  standing 
at  the  railroad  station  at  Anna  when  Douglas's  special  train  arrived 
from  Cairo.  My  recollection  is  that  there  was  a  flat  car  attached  to 
the  train  on  which  a  small  cannon  was  mounted  and  that  it  was  fired 
several  times  after  its  arrival." 

Andrew  J.  Bunch,  now  seventy-five  years  of  age,  living  at  McClure, 
in  the  northwest  part  of  Alexander  county,  was  a  young  man  twenty- 
one  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  the  debate.  He  was  living  in  Jonesboro 
at  that  time.  He  says:  "Jonesboro  was  a  small  town  of  less  than 
one  thousand  population.  There  was  a  large  hotel  on  the  east  side  of 
the  square  kept  by  a  man  by  the  name  of  Sheets,  and  one  on  the  west 
side  kept  by  a  Mrs.  Williams.  The  courthouse  in  the  center  of  the 
square  was  very  dilapidated.  There  was  no  floor,  only  a  dirt  floor. 
The  present  courthouse  was  just  being  plastered.  The  prominent  men 
were  Col.  John  Hacker,  his  two  sons,  William  and  Henry.  The  latter 
was  a  doctor.  William  was  a  very  active  politician.  Col.  John  Dough- 
erty was  a  very  prominent  man.  His  son,  Lafayette,  was  the  United 
States  marshal  for  the  southern  district  of  Illinois.  Other  prominent 
men  were  John  E.  Nail,  Willis  Willard,  John  Greer,  Adam  Cruse,  Dr. 
Toler,  William  Bunch,  Ephraim  Kimmel,  Joseph  E.  Terpinitz,  John  R. 
Miller,  George  Williams,  Samuel  Flagler,  Jeff  Baldwin,  etc.  But  Jones- 
boro was  almost  solid  for  Buchanan  and  it  was  a  cold  reception  that 
Douglas  got.  The  reception  committee  consisted  of  the  Hackers  and 
Dr.  Toler  with  others  who  were  nominally  on  the  committee.  Slight 
preparations  were  made.  The  debate  occurred  half  a  mile  north  of  the 
square.  The  reason  the  preparations  were  slight  was  that  no  Buchanan 
man  would  do  anything  toward  making  arrangements.  The  Douglas 
cannon  was  taken  to  the  grounds  and  placed  to  the  south  of  the  speaker's 
stand  and  fired  several  times  while  Douglas  was  speaking.  When  the 
speaking  was  over  someone  shouted  for  Dougherty  to  speak  and  he 
took  the  platform,  but  the  confusion  was  too  great.  Josh  Allen  got  up 
and  shouted  for  Linder,  who  came  forward  and  spoke.  I  do  not  know 
what  became  of  Douglas  and  Lincoln  after  the  speaking." 

Prof.  Joseph  E.  Terpinitz,  the  leader  of  the  band,  after  telling  of 
having  some  difficulty  in  getting  anything  to  eat,  says:     "Upon  arriv- 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  265 

ing  at  Jonesboro  we  were  again  disappointed  in  getting  refreshments. 
The  square  was  alive  with  people  and  streams  of  men  and  boys  were 
moving  toward  the  fair  grounds.  Finally  the  band  led  the  way  and  the 
march  to  the  grounds  was  taken  up.  I  remember  we  were  tired  and 
hungry  and  not  inclined  to  pay  much  attention  to  what  was  going  on. 
But  as  we  were  going  up  a  gentle  slope  near  the  grounds,  I  noticed  to 
the  left  of  the  road  in  a  path  a  tall,  odd  looking  man  walking  along 
with  his  hands  behind  him.  He  wore  a  tall  plug  hat,  rather  long-tailed 
coat,  and  was  a  person  who  would  attract  attention  in  a  crowd.  He 
seemed  in  deep  meditation,  walking  with  his  head  down.  I  asked — 
Who  is  that  odd  looking  man?  Someone  in  the  band  said  that  was 
Lincoln  from  Springfield,  who  was  going  to  speak.  He  was  not  particu- 
larly with  anyone,  though  there  were  many  people  walking  along  and 
his  friends  may  have  been  near." 

The  debate  was  without  unusual  incident.  The  audience  was  in- 
deed very  small.  No  one  has  estimated  it  more  than  two  thousand, 
while  those  who  were  accustomed  to  size  up  audiences  place  it  at  fifteen 
hundred.  The  correspondents  for  the  city  papers  speak  of  a  good  dele- 
gation coming  from  the  State  Fair  at  Centralia,  and  of  a  good  sized 
crowd  from  Cairo.  Mr.  Horace  White  says:  "My  impression  was 
that  the  audience  at  Jonesboro  was  rather  stolid,  and  took  little  interest 
in  the  questions  discussed,  but  that  it  was  composed  of  honest,  well 
meaning,  old  fashioned  country  folks.  I  do  not  think  Lincoln  made  any 
converts  at  Jonesboro.  I  doubt  if  Douglas  made  any  or  even  held  his 
own." 


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CHAPTER  XXIV 
LINCOLN-DOUGLAS  DEBATE  AT  JONESBORO 

MR.  DOUGLAS'S  SPEECH — MR.  LINCOLN'S  REPLY — MR.  DOUGLAS'S  REPLY. 

The  joint  debate  between  Mr.  Douglas  and  Mr.  Lincoln,  which  was 
held  at  Jonesboro  on  September  15,  1858,  was  the  third  of  the  series, 
and  so  thoroughly  covers  the  ground  of  the  questions  at  issue,  that  it 
is  here  reproduced  verbatim. 

MR.  DOUGLAS'S  SPEECH 

Ladies  and  Gentlemen:  I  appear  before  you  to-day  in  pursuance 
of  a  previous  notice,  and  have  made  arrangements  with  Mr.  Lincoln 
to  divide  time,  and  discuss  with  him  the  leading  political  topics  that  now 
agitate  the  country. 

Prior  to  1854  this  country  was  divided  into  two  great  political 
parties  known  as  Whig  and  Democratic.  These  parties  differed  from 
each  other  on  certain  questions  which  were  then  deemed  to  be  impor- 
tant to  the  bests  interests  of  the  Republic.  Whigs  and  Democrats  dif- 
fered about  a  bank,  the  tariff,  distribution,  the  specie  circular  and  the 
sub-treasury.  On  those  issues  we  went  before  the  country  and  discussed 
the  principles,  objects  and  measures  of  the  two  great  parties.  Each 
of  the  parties  could  proclaim  its  principles  in  Louisiana  as  well  as  in 
Massachusetts,  in  Kentucky  as  well  as  in  Illinois.  Since  that  period,  a 
great  revolution  has  taken  place  in  the  formation  of  parties,  by  which 
they  now  seem  to  be  divided  by  a  geographical  line,  a  large  party  in 
the  north  being  arrayed  under  the  Abolition  or  Republican  banner,  in 
hostility  to  the  southern  states,  southern  people,  and  southern  institu- 
tions. It  becomes  important  for  us  to  inquire  how  this  transformation 
of  parties  has  occurred,  made  from  those  of  national  principles  to 
geographical  factions.  You  remember  that  in  1850 — this  country  was 
agitated  from,  its  center  to  its  circumference  about  this  slavery  ques- 
tion— -it  became  necessary  for  the  leaders  of  the  great  Whig  party  and 
the  leaders  of  the  great  Democratic  party  to  postpone,  for  the  time 
being,  their  particular  disputes,  and  unite  first  to  save  the  Union  be- 
fore they  should  quarrel  as  to  the  mode  in  which  it  was  to  be  governed. 
During  the  congress  of  1849- '50,  Henry  Clay  was  the  leader  of  the 
Union  men,  supported  by  Cass  and  Webster,  and  the  leaders  of  the 
Democracy  and  the  leaders  of  the  Whigs,  in  opposition  to  northern 
Abolitionists  or  southern  Disunionists.  That  great  contest  of  1850 
resulted  in  the  establishment  of  the  Compromise  Measures  of  that  year, 
which  measures  rested  on  the  great  principle  that  the  people  of  each 

267 


268  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

state  and  each  territory  of  this  Union  ought  to  be  permitted  to  regulate 
their  own  domestic  institutions  in  their  own  way,  subject  to  no  other 
limitation  than  that  which  the  Federal  constitution  imposes. 

I  now  wish  to  ask  you  whether  that  principle  was  right  or  wrong 
which  guaranteed  to  every  state  and  every  community  the  right  to 
form  and  regulate  their  domestic  institutions  to  suit  themselves.  These 
measures  were  adopted,  as  I  have  previously  said,  by  the  joint  action 
of  the  Union  Whigs  and  Union  Democrats  in  opposition  to  northern 
Abolitionists  and  southern  Disunionists.  In  1858,  when  the  Whig 
party  assembled  at  Baltimore,  in  national  convention  for  the  last  time, 
they  adopted  the  principle  of  the  Compromise  Measures  of  1850  as 
their  rule  of  party  action  in  the  future.  One  month  thereafter  the 
Democrats  assembled  at  the  same  place  to  nominate  a  candidate  for 
the  presidency,  and  declared  the  same  great  principle  as  the  rule  of 
action  by  which  the  Democracy  would  be  governed.  The  presidential 
election  of  1852  was  fought  on  that  basis.  It  is  true  that  the  Whigs 
claimed  special  merit  for  the  adoption  of  those  measures,  because  they 
asserted  that  their  great  Clay  originated  them,  their  god-like  Webster 
defended  them  and  their  Fillmore  signed  the  bill  making  them  the  law 
of  the  land ;  but  on  the  other  hand,  the  Democrats  claimed  special  credit 
for  the  Democracy,  upon  the  ground  that  we  gave  twice  as  many  votes 
in  both  houses  of  congress  for  the  passage  of  these  measures  as  the 
Whig  party. 

Thus  you  see  that  in  the  presidential  election  of  1852,  the  Whigs 
were  pledged  by  their  platform  and  their  candidate  to  the  principle 
of  the  Compromise  Measures  of  1850,  and  the  Democracy  were  likewise 
pledged  by  our  principles,  our  platform,  and  our  candidate  to  the  same 
line  of  policy,  to  preserve  peace  and  quiet  between  the  different  sections 
of  this  Union.  Since  that  period  the  Whig  party  has  been  transformed 
into  a  sectional  party,  under  the  name  of  the  Republican  party,  whilst 
the  Democratic  party  continues  the  same  national  party  it  was  at  that 
day.  All  sectional  men,  all  men  of  Abolition  sentiments  and  principles, 
no  matter  whether  they  were  old  Abolitionists  or  had  been  Whigs  or 
Democrats,  rally  under  the  sectional  Republican  banner,  and  conse- 
quently all  national  men,  all  Union-loving  men,  whether  Whigs,  Demo- 
crats, or  by  whatever  name  they  have  been  known,  ought  to  rally  under 
the  stars  and  stripes  in  defense  of  the  constitution  as  our  fathers  made 
it,  and  of  the  Union  as  it  has  existed  under  the  constitution. 

How  has  this  departure  from  the  faith  of  the  Democracy  and  the 
faith  of  the  Whig  party  been  accomplished?  In  1854,  certain  restless, 
ambitious,  and  disappointed  politicians  throughout  the  land  took  ad- 
vantage of  the  temporary  excitement  created  by  the  Nebraska  bill  to 
try  and  dissolve  the  old  Whig  party  and  the  old  Democratic  party,  to 
abolitionize  their  members,  and  lead  them,  bound  hand  and  foot,  cap- 
tives into  the  Abolition  camp.  In  the  state  of  New  York  a  convention 
was  held  by  some  of  these  men  and  a  platform  adopted,  every  plank  of 
which  was  as  black  as  night,  each  one  relating  to  the  negro,  and  not 
one  referring  to  the  interests  of  the  white  man.  That  example  was 
followed  throughout  the  northern  states,  the  effect  being  made  to  com- 
bine all  the  free  states  in  hostile  array  against  the  slave  states.  The 
men  who  thus  thought  that  they  could  build  up  a  great  sectional  party, 
and  through  its  organization  control  the  political  destinies  of  this 
country,  based  all  their  hopes  on  the  single  fact  that  the  north  was  the 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  269 

stronger  division  of  the  nation,  and  hence,  if  the  north  could  be  com- 
bined against  the  south,  a  sure  victory  awaited  their  efforts.  I  am 
doing  no  more  than  justice  to  the  truth  of  history  when  I  say  that  in 
this  state  Abraham  Lincoln,  on  behalf  of  the  Whigs,  and  Lyman  Trum- 
bull,  on  behalf  of  the  Democrats,  were  the  leaders  who  undertook  to 
perform  this  grand  scheme  of  abolitionizing  the  two  parties  to  which 
they  belonged.  They  had  a  private  arrangement  as  to  what  should 
be  the  political  destiny  of  each  of  the  contracting  parties  before  they 
went  into  the  operation.  The  arrangement  was  that  Mr.  Lincoln  was 
to  take  the  old  line  Whigs  with  him,  claiming  that  he  was  still  as  good 
a  Whig  as  ever,  over  to  the  Abolitionists,  and  Mr.  Trumbull  was  to 
run  for  congress  in  the  Belleville  district,  and,  claiming  to  be  a  good 
Democrat,  coax  the  old  Democrats  into  the  Abolition  camp,  and  when, 
by  the  joint  efforts  of  the  abolitionized  Whigs,  the  abolitionized  Demo- 
crats, and  the  old  line  Abolition  and  Freesoil  party  of  this  state,  they 
should  secure  a  majority  in  the  legislature.  Lincoln  was  then  to  be 
made  United  States  senator  in  Shield's  place,  Trumbull  remaining  in 
congress  until  I  should  be  accommodating  enough  to  die  or  resign,  and 
give  him  a  chance  to  follow  Lincoln.  That  was  a  very  nice  little  bargain 
so  far  as  Lincoln  and  Trumbull  were  concerned,  if  it  had  been  carried 
out  in  good  faith,  and  friend  Lincoln  had  attained  to  senatorial  dignity 
according  to  the  contract.  They  went  into  the  contest  in  every  part 
of  the  state,  calling  upon  all  disappointed  politicians  to  join  in  the 
crusade  against  the  Democracy,  and  appealed  to  the  prevailing  senti- 
ments and  prejudices  in  all  the  northern  counties  of  the  state.  In 
three  congressional  districts  in  the  north  end  of  the  state  they  adopted, 
as  the  platform  of  this  new  party  thus  formed  by  Lincoln  and  Trum- 
bull in  the  connection  with  the  Abolitionists,  all  of  those  principles 
which  aimed  at  a  warfare  on  the  part  of  the  north  against  the  south. 
They  declared  in  that  platform  that  the  Wilmot  Proviso  was  to  be 
applied  to  all  the  territories  of  the  United  States,  north  as  well  as 
south  of  36  degrees  30  minutes,  and  not  only  to  all  the  territory  we  then 
had  but  all  that  we  might  hereafter  acquire ;  that  hereafter  no  more  slave 
states  should  be  admitted  into  this  Union,  even  if  the  people,  of  such 
state  desired  slavery;  that  the  Fugitive  Slave  law  should  be  absolutely 
and  unconditionally  repealed ;  that  slavery  should  be  abolished  in  the 
District  of  Columbia;  that  the  slave-trade  should  be  abolished  between 
the  different  states,  and,  in  fact,  every  article  in  their  creed  related  to 
this  slavery  question,  and  pointed  to  a  northern  geographical  party  in 
hostility  to  the  southern  states  of  this  Union.  Such  were  their  princi- 
ples in  northern  Illinois.  A  little  further  south  they  became  bleached 
and  grew  paler  just  in  proportion  as  public  sentiment  moderated  and 
changed  in  this  direction.  They  were  Republicans  or  Abolitionists  in 
the  north,  anti-Nebraska  men  down  about  Springfield,  and  in  this  neigh- 
borhood they  contented  themselves  with  talking  about  the  inexpediency 
of  the  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Compromise.  In  the  extreme  northern 
counties  they  brought  out  men  to  canvass  the  state  whose  complexion 
suited  their  political  creed,  and  hence  Fred  Douglass,  the  negro,  was 
to  be  found  there,  following  General  Cass,  and  attempting  to  speak  on 
behalf  of  Lincoln,  Trumbull  and  Abolitionism,  against  that  illustrious 
senator.  Why,  they  brought  Fred  Douglass  to  Freeport,  when  I  was 
addressing  a  meeting  there,  in  a  carriage  driven  by  the  white  owner, 
the  negro  sitting  inside  with  the  white  lady  and  her  daughter.  When 


270  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

I  got  through  canvassing  the  northern  counties  that  year,  and  pro- 
gressed as  far  south  as  Springfield,  I  was  met  and  opposed  in  discussion 
by  Lincoln,  Lovejoy,  Trumbull,  and  Sidney  Breese,  who  were  on  one 
side.  Father  Giddings,  the  high-priest  of  Abolitionism,  had  just  been 
there,  and  Chase  came  about  the  time  I  left.  ["Why  didn't  you  shoot 
him?"]  I  did  take  a  running  shot  at  them,  but  as  I  was  single-handed 
against  the  white,  black  and  mixed  drove,  I  had  to  use  a  shotgun  and 
fire  into  the  crowd  instead  of  taking  them  off  singly  with  a  rifle.  Trum- 
bull had  for  his  lieutenants,  in  aiding  him  to  abolitionize  the  Democracy, 
such  men  as  John  Wentworth,  of  Chicago,  Governor  Reynolds,  of  Belle- 
ville, Sidney  Breese,  of  Carlisle,  and  John  Dougherty,  of  Union,  each 
of  whom  modified  his  opinions  to  suit  the  locality  he  was  in.  Dougherty, 
for  instance,  would  not  go  much  further  than  to  talk  about  the  inex- 
pediency of  the  Nebraska  bill,  whilst  his  allies  at  Chicago,  advocated 
negro  citizenship  and  negro  equality,  putting  the  white  man  and  the 
negro  on  the  same  basis  under  the  law.  Now  these  men,  four  years  ago, 
were  engaged  in  a  conspiracy  to  break  down  the  Democracy ;  to-day 
they  are  again  acting  together  for  the  same  purpose!  They  do  not 
hoist  the  same  flag;  they  do  not  own  the  same  principles,  or  profess 
the  same  faith ;  but  conceal  their  union  for  the  sake  of  policy.  In  the 
northern  counties,  you  find  that  all  the  conventions  are  called  in  the 
name  of  the  Black  Republican  party;  at  Springfield,  they  dare  not  call 
a  Republican  convention,  but  invite  all  the  enemies  of  the  Democracy 
to  unite,  and  when  they  get  down  into  Egypt,  Trumbull  issues  notices 
calling  upon  the  "Free  Democracy"  to  assemble  and  hear  him  speak. 
I  have  one  of  the  handbills  calling  a  Trumbull  meeting  at  Waterloo 
the  other  day,  which  I  received  there,  which  is  in  the  following  language : 

A  meeting  of  the  Free  Democracy  will  take  place  in  Waterloo,  on  Monday, 
Sept.  13th  lust.,  whereat  Hon.  Lyman  Trumbull,  Hon.  Jehu  Baker  and  others, 
will  address  the  people  upon  the  different  political  topics  of  the  day.  Members  of 
all  parties  are  cordially  invited  to  be  present,  and  hear  and  determine  for 
themselves. 

THE  MONROE  FREE  DEMOCRACY. 

What  is  that  name  of  "Free  Democrats"  put  forth  for  unless  to 
deceive  the  people,  and  make  them  believe  that  Trumbull  and  his  fol- 
lowers are  not  the  same  party  as  that  which  raises  the  black  flag  of 
Abolitionism  in  the  northern  part  of  this  state,  and  makes  war  upon 
the  Democratic  party  throughout  the  state.  When  I  put  that  question 
to  them  at  Waterloo  on  Saturday  last,  one  of  them  rose  and  stated  that 
they  had  changed  their  name  for  political  effect  in  order  to  get  votes. 
There  was  a  candid  admission.  Their  object  in  changing  their  party 
organization  and  principles  in  different  localities  was  avowed  to  be  an 
attempt  to  cheat  and  deceive  some  portion  of  the  people  until  after  the 
election.  Why  cannot  a  political  party  that  is  conscious  of  the  rectitude 
of  its  purposes  and  the  soundness  of  its  principles  declare  them  every- 
where alike?  I  would  disdain  to  hold  any  political  principles  that  I 
could  not  avow  in  the  same  terms  in  Kentucky  that  I  declared  in  Illinois, 
in  Charleston  as  well  as  in  Chicago,  in  New  Orleans  as  well  as  in  New 
York.  So  long  as  we  live  under  a  constitution  common  to  all  the  states, 
our  political  faith  ought  to  be  as  broad,  as  liberal,  and  just  as  that 
constitution  itself,  and  should  be  proclaimed  alike  in  every  portion  of 
the  Union.  But  it  is  apparent  that  our  opponents  find  it  necessary, 
for  partisan  effect,  to  change  their  colors  in  different  counties  in  order 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  271 

to  catch  the  popular  breeze,  and  hope  with  these  discordant  materials 
combined  together  to  secure  a  majority  in  the  legislature  for  the  pur- 
pose of  putting  down  the  Democratic  party.  This  combination  did  suc- 
ceed in  1854  so  far  as  to  elect  a  majority  of  their  confederates  to  the 
legislature,  and  the  first  important  act  which  they  performed  was  to 
elect  a  senator  in  the  place  of  the  eminent  and  gallant  Senator  Shields. 
His  term  expired  in  the  United  States  senate  at  that  time,  and  he  had 
to  be  crushed  by  the  Abolition  coalition  for  the  simple  reason  that  he 
would  not  join  in  their  conspiracy  to  wage  war  against  one-half  of  the 
Union.  That  was  the  only  objection  to  General  Shields.  He  had  served 
the  people  of  the  state  with  ability  in  the  legislature,  he  had  served 
you  with  fidelity  and  ability  as  auditor,  he  had  performed  his  duties  to 
the  satisfaction  of  the  whole  country  at  the  head  of  the  land  depart- 
ment at  Washington,  he  had  covered  the  state  and  the  Union  with 
immortal  glory  on  the  bloody  fields  of  Mexico  in  defense  of  the  honor 
of  our  flag,  and  yet  he  had  to  be  stricken  down  by  this  unholy  combina- 
tion. And  for  what  cause?  Merely  because  he  would  not  join  a  com- 
bination of  one-half  of  the  states  to  make  war  upon  the  other  half,  after 
having  poured  out  his  heart's  blood  for  all  the  states  in  the  Union. 
Trumbull  was  put  in  his  place  by  Abolitionism.  How  did  Trumbull 
get  there?  Before  the  Abolitionists  would  consent  to  go  into  an  elec- 
tion for  United  States  senator  they  required  all  the  members  of  this 
new  combination  to  show  their  hands  upon  this  question  of  Abolitionism. 
Lovejoy,  one  of  their  high-priests,  brought  in  resolutions  defining  the 
Abolition  creed,  and  required  them  to  commit  themselves  on  it  by  their 
votes — yea  or  nay.  In  that  creed,  as  laid  down  by  Lovejoy,  they  de- 
clared first,  that  the  Wilmot  Proviso  must  be  put  on  all  the  territories 
of  the  United  States,  north  as  well  as  south  of  36  degrees  30  minutes,  and 
that  no  more  territory  should  ever  be  acquired  unless  slavery  was  at  first 
prohibited  therein ;  second,  that  no  more  states  should  ever  be  received 
into  the  Union  unless  slavery  was  first  prohibited,  by  constitutional 
provision,  in  such  states;  third,  that  the  Fugitive  Slave  law  must  be 
immediately  repealed,  or,  failing  in  that,  then  such  amendments  were 
to  be  made  to  it  as  would  render  it  useless  and  inefficient  for  the  objects 
for  which  it  was  passed,  etc.  The  next  day  after  these  resolutions  were 
offered  they  were  voted  upon,  part  of  them  carried,  and  the  others 
defeated,  the  same  men  who  voted  for  them,  with  only  two  exceptions, 
voting  soon  after  for  Abraham  Lincoln  as  their  candidate  for  the  United 
States  senate.  He  came  within  one  or  two  votes  of  being  elected,  but 
he  could  not  quite  get  the  number  required  for  the  simple,  reason  that 
his  friend  Trumbull,  who  was  a  party  to  the  bargain  by  which  Lincoln 
was  to  take  Shields 's  place,  controlled  a  few  abolitionized  Democrats  in 
the  legislature,  and  would  not  allow  them  all  to  vote  for  him,  thus 
wronging  Lincoln  by  permitting  him  on  each  ballot  to  be  almost  elected, 
but  not  quite,  until  he  forced  them  to  drop  Lincoln  and  elect  him 
(Trumbull),  in  order  to  unite  the  party.  Thus  you  find,  that  although 
the  legislature  was  carried  that  year  by  the  bargain  between  Trumbull, 
Lincoln,  and  the  Abolitionists,  and  the  union  of  these  discordant  ele- 
ments in  one  harmonious  party;  yet  Trumbull  violated  his  pledge,  and 
played  a  Yankee  trick  on  Lincoln  when  they  came  to  divide  the  spoils. 
Perhaps  you  would  like  a  little  evidence  on  this  point.  If  you  would,  I 
will  call  Col.  James  H.  Matheny,  of  Springfield,  to  the  stand,  Mr.  Lin- 
coln's especial  confidential  friend  for  the  last  twenty  years,  and  see 


272  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

what  he  will  say  upon  the  subject  of  this  bargain.  Matheny  is  now  the 
Black  Republican  or  Abolition  candidate  for  congress  in  the  Springfield 
district  against  the  gallant  Colonel  Harris,  and  is  making  speeches  all 
over  that  part  of  the  state  against  me  and  in  favor  of  Lincoln,  in  con- 
cert with  Trumbull.  He  ought  to  be  a  good  witness,  and  I  will  read  an 
extract  from  a  speech  which  he  made  in  1856,  when  he  was  mad  be- 
cause his  friend  Lincoln  had  been  cheated.  It  is  one  of  numerous 
speeches  of  the  same  tenor  that  were  made  about  that  time,  exposing 
this  bargain  between  Lincoln,  Trumbull  and  the  Abolitionists.  Math- 
eny then  said : 

"The  Whigs,  Abolitionists,  Know  Nothings  and  renegade  Democrats 
made  a  solemn  compact  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  this  state  against 
the  Democracy,  on  this  plan :  1st.  That  they  would  all  combine  and 
elect  Mr.  Trumbull  to  congress,  and  thereby  carry  his  district  for  the 
legislature,  in  order  to  throw  all  the  strength  that  could  be  obtained 
into  that  body  against  the  Democrats.  2d.  That  when  the  legislature 
should  meet,  the  officers  of  that  body,  such  as  speaker,  clerks,  door 
keepers,  etc.,  would  be  given  to  the  Abolitionists;  and  3d.  That  the 
Whigs  were  to  have  the  United  States  senator.  That,  accordingly,  in 
good  faith,  Trumbull  was  elected  to  congress,  and  his  district  carried 
for  the  legislature,  and,  when  it  convened,  the  Abolitionists  got  all  the 
officers  of  that  body,  and  thus  far  the  "bond"  was  fairly  executed. 
The  Whigs,  on  their  part,  demanded  the  election  of  Abraham  Lincoln 
to  the  United  States  senate,  that  the  bond  might  be  fulfilled,  the  other 
parties  to  the  contract  having  already  secured  to  themselves  all  that 
was  called  for.  But,  in  the  most  perfidious  manner,  they  refused  to 
elect  Mr.  Lincoln;  and  the  mean,  low-lived,  sneaking  Trumbull  suc- 
ceeded, by  pledging  all  that  was  required  by  any  party,  in  thrusting 
Lincoln  aside  and  foisting  himself,  an  excrescence  from  the  rotten  bowels 
of  the  Democracy,  into  the  United  States  senate ;  and  thus  it  has  ever 
been,  that  an  honest  man  makes  a  bad  bargain  when  he  conspires  or 
contracts  with  rogues." 

Matheny  thought  that  his  friend  Lincoln  made  a  bad  bargain  when 
he  conspired  and  contracted  with  such  rogues  as  Trumbull  and  his 
Abolition  associates  in  that  campaign.  Lincoln  was  shoved  off  the  track, 
and  he  and  his  friends  all  at  once  began  to  mope ;  became  sour  and 
mad,  and  disposed  to  tell,  but  dare  not ;  and  thus  they  stood  for  a  long 
time,  until  the  Abolitionists  coaxed  and  nattered  him  back  by  their 
assurances  that  he  should  certainly  be  a  senator  in  Douglas's  place. 
In  that  way  the  Abolitionists  have  been  enabled  to  hold  Lincoln  to  the 
alliance  up  to  this  time,  and  now  they  have  brought  him  into  a  fight 
against  me,  and  he  is  to  see  if  he  is  again  to  be  cheated  by  them.  Lin- 
coln this  time,  though,  required  more  of  them  than  a  promise,  and  holds 
their  bond,  if  not  security,  that  Lovejoy  shall  not  cheat  him  as  Trumbull 
did. 

When  the  Republican  convention  assembled  at  Springfield,  in  June 
last,  for  the  purpose  of  nominating  state  officers  only,  the  Abolition- 
ists could  not  get  Lincoln  and  his  friends  into  it  until  they  would 
pledge  themselves  that  Lincoln  should  be  their  candidate  for  the 
senate ;  and  you  will  find,  in  proof  of  this,  that  that  convention  passed 
a  resolution  unanimously  declaring  that  Abraham  Lincoln  was  the 
"first,  last  and  only  choice"  of  the  Republicans  for  United  States 
senator.  He  was  not  willing  to  have  it  understood  that  he  was  merely 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  241 

as  the  road  was  built  and  in  operation,  there  was  a  rapid  rise  in  the 
prices  of  land.  Cities  sprang  up  and  farms  were  opened.  This  in- 
creased valuation  of  these  lands  soon  brought  in  an  increasing  amount 
of  taxes  and  thus  the  burden  of  the  state  debt  was  gradually  lifted. 
The  cost  of  the  road,  according  to  a  statement  made  by  Mr.  Ackerman 
in  1883,  at  that  time  president  of  the  road,  was  $40,000,000.  The  sale 
of  the  lands  along  the  line  of  the  road  produced  some  income  for  the 
company,  but  within  a  few  years  the  company  was  in  debt  over  $23,- 
000,000.  Mr.  Ackerman  further  says  that  the  road  was  kept  from 
bankruptcy  by  the  heroic  work  of  its  officers,  assisted  by  Richard  Cob- 
den  on  behalf  of  the  English  shareholders. 

The  charter  granted  to  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company  con- 
veyed to  that  corporation  all  the  lands  which  congress  had  so  gener- 
ously given  to  the  state  by  the  act  of  September  20,  1850.  The  pro- 
visons  of  the  charter  pertaining  to  the  returns  which  the  company 
should  make  to  the  state  for  the  gift  of  the  lands,  were  the  result  of 
much  discussion  and  several  compromises.  The  memorial  addressed 
to  the  legislature  by  the  nine  gentlemen  contained  near  the  close,  this 
clause :  ' '  And  the  said  company,  from  and  after  the  completion  of 

the  said  road,  will  pay  to  the  state  of  Illinois,  annually per  cent 

of  the  gross  earnings  of  the  said  railroad,  without  deduction  or  charge 
for  expenses  or  for  any  other  matter  or  cause."  After  a  thorough 
discussion  of  all  the  interests  involved,  the  following  sections  were  in* 
corporated  in  the  charter: 

Section  18.  In  consideration  of  the  grants,  privileges,  and  fran- 
chises herein  conferred  upon  said  company  for  the  purposes  aforesaid, 
the  said  company  shall,  on  the  first  Mondays  of  December  and  June  in 
each  year,  pay  into  the  treasury  of  the  state  of  Illinois  five  per  centum 
on  the  gross  or  total  proceeds,  receipts  or  income  derived  from  said  road 
and  branches,  for  the  six  months  then  next  preceding. 

The  same  section  then  provides  for  the  keeping  of  accurate  and 
detailed  records  of  such  income,  and  for  reports,  etc.,  to  the  governor. 
Section  22  of  the  charter  provides  that  all  the  lands  shall  be  exempt 
from  taxation  till  sold  by  the  company.  It  also  provides  for  the 
exemption  of  all  the  stock  of  the  road  for  six  years.  Then  follows  this 
provision : 

Section  22.  After  the  expiration  of  six  years,  the  stock,  property, 
and  assets,  belonging  to  said  company  shall  be  listed  by  the  president, 
secretary  or  other  officer,  with  the  auditor  of  state,  and  an  annual  tax 
for  state  purposes  shall  be  assessed  by  the  auditor  upon  all  the  property 
and  assets  of  every  name,  kind  and  description  belonging  to  said  cor- 
poration. Whenever  the  taxes  levied  for  state  purposes  shall  exceed 
three-fourths  of  one  per  centum  per  annum,  such  excess  shall  be  de- 
ducted from  the  gross  proceeds  or  income  herein  required  to  be  paid 
by  said  corporation  to  the  state,  and  the  said  corporation  is  hereby 
exempted  from  all  taxation  of  every  kind,  except  as  herein  provided 
for.  The  revenue  or  income  arising  from  said  taxation  and  the  said 
five  per  cent  of  gross  or  total  proceeds,  receipts  or  income  aforesaid, 
shall  be  paid  into  the  state  treasury  in  money,  and  applied  to  the  pay- 
ment of  the  interest-paying  state  indebtedness  until  the  extinction 
thereof;  Provided,  in  case  the  five  per  cent,  provided  to  be  paid  into 

the  state  treasury  and  the  state  taxes  to  be  paid  by  the  corporation, 
VOL  i— u 


242  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

do  not  amount  to  seven  per  cent  of  the  gross  or  total  proceeds,  receipts, 
or  income,  then  the  said  company  shall  pay  into  the  state  treasury  the 
difference  so  as  to  make  the  whole  amount  paid  equal,  at  least,  to  seven 
per  cent  of  the  gross  receipts  of  said  corporation. 

The  first  four  semi-annual  payments  made  to  the  state  treasury  by 
the  Illinois  Central  Company  consisted  of  five  per  cent  of  the  gross 
earnings.  Since  April  30,  1857,  the  payments  have  heen  made  on  a 
basis  of  seven  per  cent  of  the  gross  earnings.  The  first  semi-annual 
payment  made  October  31,  1855,  amounted  to  $29,751.59.  The  last 
semi-annual  payment  made  October  31,  1911,  was  $620,388.12.  The 
total  paid  into  the  state  treasury  in  the  past  fifty-one  years  is  $30,942,- 
282.80.  In  at  least  two  instances  in  the  past  fifty  years,  the  Illinois 
Central  Company  has  advanced  the  semi-annual  payment  several 
months  before  it  was  due,  and  thus  relieved  the  state  from  the  embar- 
rassment of  a  deficit  in  the  treasury. 

As  stated  above,  the  company  has  annually  paid  seven  per  cent  of 
its  gross  earnings  into  the  treasury  with  the  understanding  that  this 
is  the  maximum  amount  to  be  paid  in  lieu  of  all  forms  of  taxation. 
The  attorney-general,  the  Hon.  W.  H.  Stead,  has  furnished  to  the  audi- 
tor of  public  accounts  an  opinion  upon  the  subject  of  taxation  of  the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company,  which  briefly  stated  is  as  follows: 

1.  As  provided  in  section  18  of  the  charter,  the  said  company  is 
required  to  pay  into  the  state  treasury  semi-annually  on  the  first  Mon- 
days in  December  and  June,  five  per  cent  of  the  gross  earnings  for 
the  preceding  six  months. 

2.  Section  22  of  the  charter  makes  it  the  duty  of  said  company  to 
list  the  stock,  property,  and  assets  belonging  to  the  said  company  with 
the  auditor  of  public  accounts  for  the  purpose  of  taxation. 

3.  It  is  the  duty  of  the  auditor  of  public  accounts  to  levy  upon 
said  property  as  listed,  an  annual  state  tax  which  shall  be  paid  as  are 
other  state  taxes.     (Provision  is  made  that  this  tax  shall  never  exceed 
75  cents  on  the  $100.) 

4.  This  tax  so  levied  and  collected  must  be  paid  into  the  state 
treasury;  and  if  this  tax,  together  with  the  five  per  cent  of  the  gross 
earnings  shall  not  equal  seven  per  cent  of  the  gross  earnings,  then  the 
company  is  bound  by  the  charter  to  make  good  such  deficiency. 

5.  If  the  tax  levied  by  the  auditor  of  public  accounts  together  with 
the  five  per  cent  of  the  gross  earnings  shall  exceed  seven  per  cent  of 
the  gross  earnings  the  said  tax  must  nevertheless  be  paid  in  full. 

6.  The  provisions  of  the  charter  apply  to  the  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
road from  Cairo  via  Centralia  to  La  Salle,  300.99  miles ;  from  La  Salle 
via  Galena  to  Dunleith,  146.73  miles;  from  Centralia  to  Chicago,  249.78 
miles;  total  697.5  miles.     The  provisions  of  the  charter  do  not  apply 
to  any  roads  leased,  purchased,  or  built  by  the  company  other  than  the 
697.5  miles  referred  to  above. 

The  said  company  listed  its  property  with  the  auditor  of  public 
accounts  from  1855  to  1859,  but  since  that  time  until  the  spring  of 
1906  it  did  not  do  so,  claiming  that  the  seven  per  cent  of  its  gross 
earnings  was  the  maximum  amount  which  the  company  was  required 
by  the  charter  to  pay  into  the  state  treasury.  In  the  spring  of  1906 
the  company  listed  its  property  with  the  auditor  and  has  continued  to 
do  so  since.  The  suit  entered  by  Governor  Deneen  and  Attorney  Gen- 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  243 

eral  Stead  resulted  in  the  collection  of  a  large  amount  of  unpaid  taxes, 
but  now  the  road  after  paying  in  five  per  cent  of  its  gross  earnings  and 
then  submitting  to  taxation  as  any  other  railroad  finds  that  five  per 
cent  plus  the  taxes  does  not  equal  seven  per  cent  of  the  gross  receipts 
and  the  deficit  is  made  up  as  is  shown  by  the  following  letter  from  the 
auditor  of  public  accounts : 

Springfield,  111..  February  15,  1912.— MB.  GEO.  W.  SMITH, 
Carbondale,  111. — Dear  Sir: — Replying  to  your  favor  of  the  14th  instant  I 
beg  to  inform  you  that  the  value  of  the  stock,  property  and  assets  of  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad  Company,  listed  by  said  Company  to  the  Auditor  of  Public 
Accounts  as  required  by  the  provisions  of  "An  Act  to  incorporate  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad  Company,"  approved  February  10,  1851,  is  as  follows : 

Value  of  right  of  way  $60.354,234.00 

Value  of  buildings  on  right  of  way   2,339,832.00 

Value  of  main   track 24,695,733.00 

Value  of  Second.  3rd,  4th  and  additional  main  tracts   9,427.063.00 

Value  of  side  and  turn-out  tracks    3,792,670.00 

Value  of  rolling  stock    12,550,247.00 

Value  of  personal  property  other  than  rolling  stock  933,329.00 

Value  of  stocks,  bonds,  cash  and  other  assets  67,973,984.55 


Aggregate  value  of  all  property  and  assets  $182,067,092.55 

Payments  into  the  State  Treasury  by  the  Illinois  Central  R.  R.  Co.  since 
May  1,  1906,  are  as  follows : 

7  per  cent  on  gross  receipts  for  6  mos.  ending  Oct.  31,  1906 $600,102.55 

7  per  cent  on  gross  receipts  for  6  mos.  ending  Apr.  30,  1907 596,210.28 

7  per  cent  on  gross  receipts  for  6  mos.  ending   Oct.  31,  1907 642,325.84 

7  per  cent  on  gross  receipts  for  6  mos.  ending  Apr.  30,  1908 533,342.89 

7  per  cent  on  gross  receipts  for  6  mos.  ending   Oct.  31,  1908 559,773.55 

7  per  cent  on  gross  receipts  for  6  mos.  ending  Apr.  30,  1909 563,307.52 

7  per  cent  on  gross  receipts  for  6  mos.  ending   Oct.  31,  1909 589,361.82 

7  per  cent  on  gross  receipts  for  6  mos.  ending  Apr.  30,  1910 607,918.20 

7  per  cent  on  gross  receipts  for  6  mos.  ending   Oct.  31,  1910 610,009.64 

7  per  cent  on  gross  receipts  for  6  mos.  ending  Apr.  20,  1911 619,096.12 

7  per  cent  on  gross  receipts  for  6  mos.  ending   Oct.  31,  1911 620,388.12 

The  State  tax  rate  for  the  year  1910  was  assessed  against  one-third  of  the 
above  total  valuation  of  stock,  property  and  assets  which  amounted  to  $60,689,- 
030.85.  the  tax  rate  extended  against  said  valuation  being  30c  on  the  $100,  and  was 
computed  in  the  assessment  as  follows: 
5  per  cent  on  $8,684,545.71  gross  receipts  for  6  mos.  ending 

Apr.   30,   1910    $434,227.29 

5  per  cent  on  $8.714,423.45  gross  receipts  for  6  mos.  ending 

Oct.  31,  1910 435.721.17 

State  tax  assessed  on  stock,  property  &  assets  for  1910  182,067.09 

Balance  necessary  to  make  the  taxes  equal  7  per  cent  of  gross  receipts.  165,912.29 


Total  tax  due  for  1910    $1,217,927.84 

Statement  of  the  amounts  paid  into  the   State  Treasury  on   account  of   7 

per  cent  of  the  gross  receipts  is  as  follows: 

June  1910,  7  per  cent  on  $8,684,545.71  gross  receipts  for  6  mos. 

ending  Apr.  30,   1910   $607,918.20 

December  1910.  7  per  cent  on  $8,714,423.45  gross  receipts  for  6  mos. 

ending  Oct.  31,  1910   610,009.64 


Total  tax  paid  the  State  Treasurer   $1,217.927.84 

Yours  truly, 

J.    S.    McCuLLOUGH. 

Auditor  P.  A. 

A  NEW  BANKING  SYSTEM 

The  experience  of  Illinois  in  the  banking  business,  had  been  so  un- 
fortunate that  there  was  inserted  in  the  constitution  of  1848,  Article 


244  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

X,  Section  5,  this  provision:  "No  act  of  the  general  assembly,  author- 
izing corporations  or  associations  with  banking  powers,  shall  go  into 
effect  or  in  any  manner  be  enforced,  unless  the  same  shall  be  submitted 
to  the  people  at  the  general  election  next  succeeding  the  passage  of  the 
same,  and  be  approved  by  a  majority  of  all  the  votes  cast  at  such  elec- 
tion for  and  against  such  law."  Section  4,  of  the  same  article  pro- 
vided that  all  stockholders  in  banking  associations  issuing  bank  notes, 
should  be  individually  responsible  proportionately  to  the  stock  held  by 
each,  for  all  liabilities  of  the  corporation  or  association.  Since  the 
winding  up  of  affairs  of  the  old  State  Bank  and  the  Bank  of  Illinois 
there  were  no  banks  in  Illinois  issuing  bank  bills.  The  only  money  in 
circulation  was  gold  and  silver,  and  paper  money  from  banks  located 
in  other  states. 

In  1838,  the  legislature  of  New  York  passed  a  law  which  created  a 
system  of  banking  quite  different  from  anything  before  tried  in  this 
country.  This  bill  provided  the  following  plan,  briefly  outlined: 

1.  A  person  or  persons  might  deposit  with  the  comptroller  of  the 
state  a  certain  amount  of  United  States  bonds,  New  York  state  bonds, 
or  other  state  bonds,  or  mortgages  to  be  approved  by  that  officer,  as 
security. 

2.  The  comptroller  issued  to  such  persons  bank  bills  which  when 
properly  signed  by  the  bank  officers  might  be  put  into  circulation  as 
money. 

3.  Said  notes  when  put  in  circulation  were  to  be  redeemed  by  the 
bank  when  presented  for  redemption  by  the  holder  within  a  limited 
time,  or 

4.  The  comptroller  could  sell  the  bonds  deposited  with  him  and 
redeem  said  bank  notes. 

5.  In  case  the  state  had  to  wind  up  the  affairs  of  any  such  bank 
and  the  securities  on  deposit  did  not  bring  an  amount  equal  to  the 
outstanding  bank  notes,  the  available  cash  from  the  sale  of  the  bonds 
was  used  in  paying  as  large  a  per  cent  as  possible  on  the  dollar,  and 
all  else  was  lost  to  the  bank-note  holder. 

Upon  the  face  of  this  law  it  looked  as  if  there  was  scarcely  any 
chance  for  loss  to  the  bank-note  holder  and  of  course  there  could  be 
none  to  the  state  as  it  was  acting  merely  in  the  capacity  of  an  agent 
of  trust.  Following  the  ratification  of  the  constitution  of  1848,  there 
began  almost  immediately  an  agitation  for  banks  of  issue  in  Illinois. 
In  the  session  of  1851  the  legislature  passed  a  banking  law  modeled 
upon  the  New  York  law  outlined  above.  This  law  could  not  go  into 
effect  until  ratified  by  the  majority  of  the  votes  cast  at  a  general  elec- 
tion. The  general  election  was  provided  for  in  November,  1851,  and 
the  vote  stood — for  the  law,  37,626;  against  the  law,  31,405 — a  very 
light  vote. 

This  law  was  called  the  ' '  Free  Banking  Law, ' '  because  anyone  could 
Illinois  state  bonds,  other  state  bonds.  A  provision  in  the  law  con- 
go  into  the  banking  business.  That  is  one  did  not  have  to  have  a  spe- 
cially enacted  charter.  The  securities  were  to  be  deposited  with  the 
auditor  of  public  accounts,  and  might  consist  of  United  States  bonds, 
templated  the  depreciation  in  value  of  state  bonds  and  so  they  were 
not  taken  for  their  full  face  value.  No  bank  could  be  organized  with 
a  smaller  bank  issue  than  $50,000.  It  was  also  provided  in  the  law 
that  if  any  bank  refused  to  redeem  its  issue,  it  was  liable  to  a  fine  of 
twelve  and  one-half  per  cent  on  the  amount  presented  for  redemption. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  245 

One  way  the  bank  managed  to  keep  people  from  presenting  their 
bills  for  redemption  was  as  follows:  A  bank,  say  in  Springfield,  Illi- 
nois, would  send  $25,000  of  its  own  issue  to  a  bank  in  Massachusetts, 
say  in  Boston ;  the  Boston  bank  returning  a  like  amount  to  the  Spring- 
field bank.  Each  bank  would  then  pay  out  this  money  over  its  counter 
in  small  quantities  and  in  this  way  the  Springfield  bank  issue  would 
become  scattered  all  over  New  England  and  no  person  holding  but  a 
few  dollars  would  think  of  coming  to  Springfield  to  get  his  bills  re- 
deemed. The  issue  of  the  Boston  bank  would  be  scattered  through  the 
west.  In  this  way,  and  in  other  ways  the  money  of  Illinois  became 
scattered  in  other  states  while  in  the  ordinary  business  transactions  in 
this  state  one  would  handle  a  large  number  of  bills  daily  which  had 
been  issued  in  other  states. 

No  doubt  many  corporations  went  into  the  banking  business  under 
this  law  with  clean  hands  and  carried  on  a  properly  conducted  banking 
business  but  there  were  ways  by  which  irresponsible  and  dishonest  men 
might  go  into  the  banking  business  and  make  large  sums  of  money 
without  very  much  capital  invested. 

These  banks  were  known  as  Wild  Cat  banks.  The  name  is  said  to 
have  originated  from  the  picture  of  a  wild  cat  engraved  on  the  bills  of 
one  of  these  irresponsible  banks  in  Michigan.  However,  they  may  have 
been  named  from  the  fact  that  the  words  "wild  cat"  were  often  applied 
to  any  irresponsible  venture  or  scheme. 

There  were,  in  Illinois,  organized  under  this  law,  one  hundred  and 
fifteen  banks  of  issue.  Up  to  1860  the  "ultimate  security"  was  suffi- 
cient at  any  time  to  redeem  all  outstanding  bills,  but  when  the  Civil 
war  came  on  the  securities  of  the  southern  states,  on  deposit  in  the 
auditor's  office,  depreciated  greatly  in  value.  The  banks  were  going 
into  liquidation  rapidly.  They  redeemed  their  bills  at  all  prices  from 
par  down  to  49  cents  on  the  $1.  It  is  estimated  that  the  bill-holders 
lost  about  $400,000,  but  that  it  came  in  such  a  way  that  it  was  not 
felt  seriously.  This  system  of  banking  was  followed  by  the  National 
Banking  System  with  which  we  are  acquainted  today. 

The  one  hundred  and  fifteen  banks  of  issue  which  were  in  operation 
in  Illinois  just  prior  to  the  Civil  war,  issued  nearly  a  thousand  differ- 
ent kinds  of  bank  bills.  Because  of  the  large  number  of  kinds  of  bills, 
counterfeiting  was  easy,  and  it  is  said  that  much  of  the  money  in 
circulation  was  counterfeit.  Bankers  received  reports  as  to  the  condi- 
tion of  the  banks  over  the  state  daily.  One  never  knew  when  he  pre- 
sented a  bill  in  payment  of  a  debt,  whether  or  not  it  was  of  any  value. 
Often  the  merchant  would  accept  this  paper  money  only  when  heavily 
discounted. 


CHAPTEK  XXII 
GOVERNOR  JOEL  A.  MATTESON 

UNDER  THE  NEW  CONSTITUTION — MATTESON  ELECTED  GOVERNOR — ILLI- 
NOIS CENTRAL  BUILT — SLAVERY  AGITATION — CANAL  SCRIP  FRAUD — 
STATE  AND  NATIONAL  POLITICS. 

The  constitution  of  1818  provided  for  the  state  election  to  be  held 
in  August  of  the  election  year.  It  further  provided  for  the  meeting 
of  the  legislature  and  the  inauguration  of  the  governor  to  take  place 
in  December.  The  first  election  for  governor  occurred  in  August,  1818, 
and  the  inauguration  of  that  officer  came  in  December,  1818. 

In  making  the  new  constitution  the  delegates  wished  to  have  the 
election  of  governor  at  the  same  time  as  that  of  the  President,  so  the 
date  for  the  election  of  governor  was  placed  in  November  of  the  "leap 
year,"  and  the  inauguration  of  the  governor  and  the  meeting  of  the 
legislature  set  for  January  following. 

Governor  French,  who  was  elected  in  August,  1846,  would  have  re- 
tired in  December,  1850,  but  on  account  of  the  adoption  of  the  new  con- 
stitution he  was  legislated  out  of  office  and  was  reelected  in  November, 
1848,  to  serve  till  January,  1853.  The  governor's  term  is  now  identical 
with  that  of  the  President. 

MATTESON  ELECTED  GOVERNOR 

The  Democratic  state  ticket  in  1852  was:  Governor,  Joel  A.  Mat- 
teson,  Will  county;  lieutenant  governor,  Gustavus  Koerner,  Belle- 
ville, St.  Clair  county ;  secretary  of  state,  Alexander  Starne ;  auditor, 
Thomas  H.  Campbell ;  treasurer,  John  Moore.  Mr.  Matteson  was  a 
successful  business  man  of  Joliet.  He  was  a  contractor  in  the  con- 
struction of  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  canal.  Gustavus  Koerner  was 
born  in  Germany  in  1809.  He  was  highly  educated  having  received 
the  degree  of  LL.  D.  from  Heidelberg  in  1822. 

The  Whigs  put  forward  for  governor  E.  B.  Webb  of  White  county; 
for  lieutenant  governor,  J.  L.  D.  Morrison  of  St.  Clair  county;  Buck- 
ner  S.  Morris  for  secretary  of  state ;  Charles  Betts  for  auditor ;  and 
Francis  Arnz  for  treasurer. 

There  was  little  excitement  in  the  contest  and  the  state  and  na- 
tional Democratic  •  tickets  were  elected.  Governor  Matteson  seemed 
to  have  very  decided  views  on  the  affairs  of  the  state  many  of  which 
were  crystallized  into  law.  He  recommended  a  new  penitentiary  at 
Joliet;  the  building  of  a  governor's  mansion; -chartering  the  state  ag- 

246 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  247 

ricultural  society;  and  the  most  important  of  all  was  the  free  school 
system.     This  last  will  be  discussed  under  the  subject  of  education. 

The  progress  of  the  state  is  shown  when  it  is  stated  that  at  the 
beginning  of  his  term  of  office  there  were  only  four  hundred  miles  of 
railroad  in  the  state  while  at  the  close  of  his  term  there  were  three 
thousand  miles  of  completed  road.  The  population  of  Chicago  was 
doubled.  During  Governor  Matteson's  term  there  was  radical  legis- 
lation on  the  sale  of  intoxicants.  In  1855  a  law  resembling  the  "Maine 
law"  was  passed  which  was  a  prohibition  law,  but  it  carried  a  clause 
which  required  it  to  be  ratified  by  a  popular  vote  before  it  went  into 
effect.  When  the  vote  was  taken  on  the  referendum  clause  in  June  of 
that  year  it  was  lost  by  a  small  majority.  It  is  said  the  counties  in 
the  southern  part  of  the  state  voted  against  the  law. 

ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  BUILT 

The  period  covered  by  Governor  Matteson's  term  was  one  filled 
with  important  events  both  for  the  state  and  the  nation.  The  Illinois 
Central  Railroad  was  built  in  this  time,  the  Republican  party  had  its 
origin,  the  free  school  system  was  put  in  operation,  and  the  repeal  of 
the  Missouri  Compromise  was  brought  about. 

SLAVERY  AGITATION 

During  the  years  of  Mr.  Matteson's  administration,  there  was  great 
agitation  in  Illinois  on  the  slavery  question.  The  constitution  of  1848 
had  abolished  slavery,  but  there  were  in  the  state  quite  a  number  of 
free  negroes.  The  "underground  railroad"  was  in  active  operation 
and  had  been  since  1835.  The  fugitive  slave  law  passed  by  congress 
in  1850  was  very  obnoxious  to  many  people  and  the  underground  rail- 
way was  liberally  patronized  in  the  years  '51,  '52,  and  '53.  On  Feb- 
ruary 12,  1853,  the  legislature  passed  a  law  concerning  free  negroes 
and  mulattoes.  This  law  made  it  a  crime  to  bring  into  the  state  a 
negro.  Again  if  a  negro  came  into  the  state  and  remained  ten  days, 
he  was  liable  to  arrest,  and  to  be  fined  $50.  If  he  could  not  pay  the 
fine  he  was  sold  to  anyone  who  would  pay  the  cost  of  the  arrest  and 
trial.  This  law  was  intended  to  serve  two  purposes;  first  to  make  it 
a  crime  to  assist  negroes  into  the  state  and  in  making  their  escape,  and 
second  to  enable  the  southern  slave  catcher  to  get  possession  of  his 
slave  at  the  actual  cost  of  arrest  and  trial.  Nor  was  the  slave  ques- 
tion at  all  pacified  by  the  passage  of  the  law  repealing  the  Missouri 
Compromise.  Mr.  Douglas  was  the  champion  of  the  bill  in  congress 
and  when  he  returned  to  Illinois  he  found  many  of  his  neighbors  and 
friends  actively  and  even  bitterly  opposed  to  the  measure.  All  over 
tho  state  there  were  speeches,  conventions,  and  resolutions  denounc- 
ing it.  An  active  newspaper  war  was  everywhere  waged  against  the 
measure.  The  bill  was  passed  in  May,  1854,  and  the  congressional  can- 
vass was  carried  on  through  the  summer  months  following.  Douglas 
attempted  to  explain  his  action  but  in  many  places  he  was  treated 
with  scant  courtesy  by  the  disappointed  people. 

There  was  a  great  disturbance  in  political  parties  and  new  parties 
were  being  formed.  These  shall  have  our  attention  presently. 


248 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 
CANAL  SCRIP  FRAUD 


There  was  a  scandal  in  Governor  Matteson's  administration  which 
has  left  a  cloud  over  the  name  of  a  very  excellent  business  man  and 
one  who  in  many  ways  showed  himself  patriotic.  This  is  what  is 
known  as  the  canal  scrip  fraud.  It  was  not  discovered  until  in  Jan- 
uary, 1857,  but  it  will  be  in  order  to  relate  it  at  this  time. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  month  named  there  were  discovered  evidences 
of  extensive  frauds  having  been  committed  upon  the  treasury  of  the 
state.  It  seems  that  in  1839  the  trustees  of  the  Illinois  and  Michigan 
canal  had  issued  what  was  called  "canal  scrip"  to  the  amount  of 
nearly  $400,000.  This  canal  scrip  was  similar  to  bank  notes  and  was 
issued  in  fifty  and  one  hundred  dollar  bills.  It  served  the  purpose  of 
money  till  the  regular  bonds  could  be  sold  when  with  the  cash  thus 
received  these  canal  scrip  bills  were  to  be  redeemed. 

They  were  all  redeemed  by  1842-3  excepting  $316.  But  it  appears 
that  when  this  scrip  was  redeemed  instead  of  being  destroyed  or  can- 
celled, the  bills  were  packed  away  in  boxes  and  finally  found  their  way 


A  ONE  HUNDRED  DOLLAR  CANAL  SCRIP  BILL  SUCH  AS  GOVERNOR 
MATTESON  CASHED  WHILE  GOVERNOR  OF  THE  STATE 

to  the  capitol  in  Springfield.  Here  they  were  stored  away  and  prob- 
ably forgotten. 

Governor  Matteson  was  a  rich  man,  and  had  been  engaged  previ- 
ously to  his  election  in  taking  contracts  for  the  building  of  railroads, 
canals,  and  other  public  works.  He  also  dealt  in  bonds  and  stocks. 
Now  there  seemed  to  have  been  an  arrangement  by  which  old  canal 
bonds,  scrip,  etc.,  should  be  refunded  or  be  redeemed  in  cash.  Just 
before  Governor  Matteson  went  out  of  office  he  presented  large  quan- 
tities of  these  canal  scrip  bills  for  redemption.  They  were  promptly 
redeemed  by  the  proper  officers.  Other  large  quantities  were  re- 
deemed. So  when  the  whole  matter  came  to  light  it  appeared  that 
the  governor  had  received  about  $250,000  from  the  treasury  for  this 
scrip. 

Upon  investigation  the  boxes  which  formerly  contained  the  uncan- 
celled  scrip  were  empty — at  least  contained  no  uncancelled  scrip.  The 
canal  commissioners  testified  the  scrip  presented  by  Governor  Matte- 
son  was  the  same  scrip  they  had  redeemed.  Judgment  was  obtained 
against  Governor  Matteson  for  over  $250,000.  His  property  was  seized 
and  sold,  and  altogether  $238,000  was  realized;  it  left  an  unpaid  bal- 
ance due  the  state  of  $27,000.  Governor  Matteson  went  into  retire- 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  249 

merit  and  passed  the  rest  of  his  days  in  very  great  quiet.  He  died  in 
1873.  It  is  said  no  one  ever  went  out  of  office  with  brighter  prospect 
before  him  than  did  Governor  Matteson,  but  this  discovery  blasted 
every  prospect. 

STATE  AND  NATIONAL  POLITICS 

When  Illinois  came  into  the  Union  in  1818,  there  was  but  one  party 
in  this  country.  This  was  what  we  know  as  the  Democratic  party, 
then  often  called  the  Republican  party.  When  Jackson  became  presi- 
dent, there  were  Jackson  men  and  anti-Jackson  men,  the  old  Federalist 
party  having  run  its  course.  In  the  struggle  over  slavery  in  Illinois 
from  1833  to  1837  there  were  two  factions,  but  they  were  all  Demo- 
crats. But  by  1840,  there  were  distinct  political  parties,  the  Whigs 
and  the  Democrats.  There  were  also  Abolitionists  who  might  be  either 
Whigs  or  Democrats.  The  Whigs  were  fairly  well  organized  fom  1840 
to  1854. 

In  1852  at  the  Whig  convention  in  Illinois  the  presiding  officer 
stated  publicly  that  there  was  not  much  chance  for  the  Whigs  but  that 
they  should  keep  up  a  bold  front  for  the  sake  of  their  friends  in  other 
states.  When  the  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Compromise  was  before  con- 
gress, there  was  great  interest  in  Illinois  among  the  political  parties, 
since  it  appeared  that  the  line  of  cleavage  would  henceforth  be  be- 
tween those  who  favored  slavery  and  those  who  opposed  it. 

In  many  counties  in  Illinois  there  were  conventions  and  other  pub- 
lic meetings  held  for  the  purpose  of  protesting  against  the  repeal  of 
the  Missouri  Compromise.  One  such  convention  which  met  in  Spring- 
field in  October,  1854,  took  the  name  Republican.  Stephen  A.  Douglas, 
one  of  the  United  States  senators  from  Illinois,  was  the  champion 
of  the  Kansas-Nebraska  Act.  Of  course  all  southern  Democrats  would 
be  with  him,  so  would  those  southern  Whigs  who  were  slave-holders 
and  wished  to  see  slave  territory  extended.  There  were  in  the  north 
and  east  Whigs  who  oppose  the  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Compromise. 
The  Abolitionists,  if  they  took  any  hand  in  the  contest  at  all,  would  nat- 
urally be  against  the  measure.  All  Free-Soilers  were  bitterly  opposed 
to  the  repeal.  The  Know-Nothings  were  against  slavery.  There  was 
thus  in  Illinois  in  1854,  on  one  side  of  the  anti-Nebraska  question,  the 
Democratic  party,  led  by  Douglas,  which  remained  loyal  to  the  national 
Democratic  administration.  This  party  was  for  the  repeal  of  the  Mis- 
souri Compromise.  There  were  on  the  other  side  of  the  dividing  line 
Free-Soilers,  Whigs,  Know-Nothings,  Independent  Democrats,  and  Abo- 
litionists. 

The  common  ground  upon  which  all  or  nearly  all  of  these  oppo- 
nents of  the  Democratic  party  could  stand,  was  opposition  to  the  spread 
of  slavery  into  the  territory  of  the  United  States.  Public  meetings, 
resolutions,  and  platforms  of  principles  were  the  order  of  the  day.  In 
Kane  county  a  meeting  was  held  on  August  19,  1854,  at  which  the  fol- 
lowing platform  was  adopted: 

We,  the  people  of  Kane  county,  in  mass  convention  assembled,  ir- 
respective of  party,  in  view  of  the  long  continued  encroachments  of 
the  slave  power,  culminating  at  last  in  the  repeal  of  the  law  of  free- 
dom in  all  the  hitherto  unorganized  territories  of  the  Union,  will  co- 
operate with  friends  of  freedom  throughout  the  state  in  an  effort  to 


250  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

bring  the  government  back  to  first  principles ;  to  restore  Kansas  and 
Nebraska  to  the  position  of  free  territories;  to  repeal  the  fugitive 
slave  law ;  to  restrict  slavery  in  the  states  in  which  it  exists ;  to  pro- 
hibit the  admission  of  any  more  slave  states  into  the  Union;  to  exclude 
slavery  from  all  the  territories  over  which  the  government  has  ex- 
clusive jurisdiction ;  restrict  the  acquirement  of  any  new  slave  terri- 
tory ;  and  the  repeal  of  the  inhuman  and  barbarous  black  laws  of  this 
state. 

This  expresses  very  generally  the  feeling  of  the  Anti-Nebraska  party 
throughout  the  state. 

Anti-Nebraska  candidates  were  nominated  for  congress,  and  an 
Anti-Nebraska  state  convention,  which  met  in  Springfield,  October  3, 
1854,  consisting  of  but  twenty-six  delegates,  nominated  a  candidate, 
J.  E.  McClun,  for  the  office  of  state  treasurer.  Mr.  McClun's  name 
was  later  replaced  by  that  of  Mr.  James  Miller.  A  platform  was  an- 
nounced and  a  central  committee  appointed.  Mr.  Lincoln  was  on  the 
central  committee.  A  vigorous  campaign  was  made.  Chase  and  Gid- 
dings,  of  Ohio,  assisted  in  the  campaign  in  this  state.  Mr.  Miller  was 
defeated  for  treasurer,  but  three  of  the  nine  congressmen  from  Illi- 
nois were  Anti-Nebraska  or  Republican.  They  were  Elihu  B.  Wash- 
burne,  James  Knox,  and  Jesse  O.  Norton. 

The  Anti-Nebraska  elements  were  drawn  together  all  over  the  coun- 
try, and  the  Democrats  of  Illinois  felt  keenly  the  need  of  holding  all 
their  forces  together.  They  issued  a  call  as  early  as  December  1,  1855, 
for  their  state  convention,  which  should  meet  in  Springfield  May  1, 
1856.  At  this  convention  the  Hon.  W.  A.  Anderson,  of  Adams  county, 
was  nominated  for  governor.  Col.  R.  J.  Hamilton,  of  Cook,  was  nom- 
inated for  lieutenant-governor.  The  platform  affirmed  that  congress 
had  no  right  to  abolish,  establish,  or  prohibit  slavery  in  the  states  or 
territories.  It  approved  the  principle  of  popular  sovereignty,  the 
compromise  of  1850,  and  declared  that  the  foreign  born  citizens  ought 
not  to  be  proscribed  on  account  of  their  nativity  or  religion. 

The  Anti-Nebraska  party  or  what  came  to  be  the  Republican  party, 
was  very  active  during  the  year  1855,  and  early  in  that  year  definite 
and  vigorous  lines  of  political  actions  were  laid  out  for  the  guidance 
of  the  party  in  the  campaign  before  it.  The  Hon.  Paul  Selby,  now  an 
honored  citizen  of  Chicago,  was  at  that  time  editor  of  the  Morgan 
(Jacksonville)  Journal.  Mr.  Selby  issued  a  call  through  the  columns 
of  his  paper  for  a  convention  of  all  Anti-Nebraska  editors,  to  be  held 
in  Decatur,  February  22,  1856,  for  the  purpose  of  formulating  definite 
plans  in  the  coming  campaign.  Mr.  Selby  was  honored  with  the  chair- 
manship of  the  convention,  and  Mr.  William  J.  Usrey,  editor  of  the 
Decatur  Chronicle,  was  made  secretary.  There  was  only  one  funda- 
mental point  upon  which  all  agreed,  that  was  opposition  to  the  Kan- 
sas-Nebraska bill.  There  were,  of  course,  many  points  of  difference 
among  the  dozen  editors  present;  but  they  were  all  wise  enough  and 
patriotic  enough  to  leave  these  differences  unnoticed.  Strong  reso- 
lutions against  the  Kansas-Nebraska  legislation  were  passed,  and  a 
call  was  issued  for  a  state  convention  of  anti-Nebraska  people  to  meet 
in  Bloomington  May  29,  1856.  To  further  the  interests  of  such  a 
movement,  this  convention  of  editors  appointed  a  sort  of  executive 
committee  consisting  of  one  from  each  congressional  district  and  two 
at  large,  making  eleven  in  all.  This  committee  issued  the  call,  appor- 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  251 

tioned  the  delegates,  and  made  other  provisions  for  the  Bloomington 
convention. 

The  convention  assembled  on  the  29th  of  May.  Out  of  one  hundred 
and  two  counties  in  the  state  about  thirty  counties  were  not  repre- 
sented. In  some  instances  men  came  as  representatives  having  no  cre- 
dentials. In  other  cases  the  properly  accredited  delegates  were 
accompanied  by  scores  of  sympathetic  citizens.  There  were  present 
the  representatives  of  at  least  four  political  parties — Whigs,  Demo- 
crats, Know-Nothings,  and  Abolitionists.  It  was  not  called  a  Republican 
convention.  Prominent  among  those  who  were  there  were  John  M. 
Palmer,  who  was  selected  as  the  chairman  of  the  convention,  Abra- 
ham Lincoln,  O.  H.  Browning,  John  Wentworth,  Richard  Yates,  Owen 
Lovejoy,  Richard  Oglesby,  Gustavus  Koerner,  David  Davis,  Norman 
B.  Judd,  Joseph  Medill,  and  scores  of  others  who  afterward  filled  re- 
sponsible positions  in  the  party  organization  as  well  as  in  the  state 
and  nation. 

The  platform  was  a  short  but  clear  statement  of  the  principles  up- 
on which  a  state  and  national  party  might  be  grounded.  There  were 
six  resolutions. 

1.  They  pledge  themselves  to   wrest  the   government   from  the 
Democratic  party  by  honorable  and'  constitutional  means  and  restore 
it  to  the  principles  of  Washington  and  Jefferson. 

2.  They  hold  to  the  doctrine  held  by  all  the  statesmen  of  the  first 
sixty  years  that  congress  has  the  constitutional  right  to  control  slavery 
in  the  United  States. 

3.  They  affirm  that  the  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Compromise  was 
a  violation  of  the  plighted  faith  of  the  states,  and  pledge  themselves 
to  restore  by  constitutional  means  Kansas  and  Nebraska  to  freedom. 

4.  They  declare  their  allegiance  to  the  Union  and  denounce  the 
disunionists  who  are  trying  to  bring  about  its  dissolution. 

5.  They  favor  the  immediate  admission  of  Kansas  with  the  con- 
stitution adopted  by  the  people  of  the  territory. 

6.  Resolved,  That  the  spirit  of  our  institutions,  as  well  as  the  con- 
stitution of  our  country,  guarantees  the  liberty  of  conscience  as  well 
as  political  freedom,  and  that  we  will  proscribe  no  one,  by  legislation 
or  otherwise,  on  account  of  religious  opinions,  or  in  consequence  of 
place  of  birth. 

A  state  ticket  was  nominated  as  follows:  For  governor,  William 
H.  Bissell;  for  lieutenant  governor,  Francis  A.  Hoffman  (afterwards 
replaced  by  John  Wood);  secretary  of  state,  0.  M.  Hatch;  auditor, 
Jesse  K.  Dubois;  treasurer,  James  Miller;  superintendent  of  public 
instruction,  William  H.  Powell. 

Of  course  there  was  much  oratory  and  not  a  little  prophesying. 
Among  those  who  spoke  was  Abraham  Lincoln,  but  unfortunately  his 
speech  was  not  reduced  to  writing  and  it  has  poetically  been  called 
the  "lost  speech."  Men  yet  living  who  heard  it  differ  as  to  some  of 
the  details,  but  upon  the  main  and  fundamental  points  there  seems 
to  be  unanimity.  Mr.  Herndon  has  said:  "I  have  heard  and  read  all 
of  Mr.  Lincoln's  great  speeches,  and  I  give  it  as  my  opinion  that  the 
Bloomington  speech  was  the  grand  effort  of  his  life.  .  .  .  His  eyes 
were  aglow  with  inspiration ;  he  felt  justice ;  his  heart  was  alive  to 
the  right;  his  sympathies,  remarkably  deep  for  him,  burst  forth,  as 
he  stood  before  the  throne  of  eternal  right." 


252  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

The  Democratic  party  had  held  its  convention  the  first  of  May,  and 
nominated  Col.  William  A.  Richardson,  of  Quincy,  for  governor,  with 
a  complete  state  ticket.  Colonel  Richardson  had  been  a  representa- 
tive in  congress  for  the  past  eleven  years  and  had  been  a  faithful  ally 
of  Douglas.  He  was  considered  a  very  strong  candidate  at  the  head 
of  a  strong  ticket. 

There  was  another  political  party  which  took  part  in  the  canvass. 
It  was  called  the  native  American  party.  It  put  forth  Buckner  S. 
Morris  for  governor.  The  vote  for  governor  stood,  Bissell,  111,375; 
Richardson,  106,643 ;  Morris  19,087. 

The  canvass  was  full  of  interest.  The  Republicans  looked  hope- 
fully forward  to  success  while  the  Democrats  saw  that  their  only 
chance  was  to  keep  their  opponents  from  fusing  their  interests.  The 
Anti-Nebraska  people,  or  the  Republicans  as  they  were  beginning  to 
be  called,  were  bitterly  denounced  as  "Black  Republicans,"  and  as 
Abolitionists.  The  Republicans  brought  in  noted  speakers  from  abroad. 
Lincoln  made  about  fifty  speeches.  The  Republicans  made  very  little 
headway  in  the  south  end  of  the  state.  In  eight  southern  counties 
there  were  cast  for  Fremont  only  fifty-one  votes.  Buchanan  carried 
the  electoral  vote  but  the  Republicans  elected  four  of  the  nine  congress- 
men, besides  the  state  ticket.  The  legislature  was  Democratic. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 
PERIOD    OF    POLITICAL    UNREST 

ILLINOIS'  FIRST  REPUBLICAN  GOVERNOR — OFFICIAL  OATH  AGAINST 
DUELLING — SOME  MATTERS  OF  LOCAL  INTEREST — POLITICAL  SITUA- 
TION IN  SOUTHERN  ILLINIOS  IN  1858 — WHEN  DOUGLAS  CAME  TO 
CAIRO — LINCOLN  IN  ANNA  AND  JONESBORO. 

The  inauguration  of  a  Republican  governor  in  Illinois  was  an  event 
of  no  ordinary  interest.  The  Democratic  party  had  furnished  all  the 
governors  since  the  days  of  Shadrach  Bond.  The  new  party  was  less 
than  four  years  old,  yet  it  held  within  its  ranks  in  Illinois  men  who 
became  famous  in  the  halls  of  legislation,  in  high  executive  stations, 
on  the  bench  as  honored  jurists,  and  as  heroes  upon  the  field  of  battle. 
Governor  Bissell  was  inaugurated  January  13,  1857.  He  had  for  some 
time  previous  to  this  campaign  been  an  invalid,  having  been  paralyzed 
in  his  limbs.  He  could  walk  only  with  the  aid  of  crutches  and  then 
only  with  difficulty.  He  was  not  able  to  go  to  the  capitol  to  take  the 
oath,  so  the  legislature  went  in  a  body  to  the  executive  mansion  where, 
in  the  presence  of  the  two  houses,  he  took  the  oath  of  office.  His  inaug- 
ural address  was  read  to  the  two  houses.  It  was  a  very  simple,  plain 
document.  However,  it  was  to  many  members  quite  objectionable  in- 
asmuch as  the  governor  took  occasion  to  discuss  the  slavery  question  in 
Kansas.  "When,  therefore,  a  motion  was  made  in  the  house  to  print  20.- 
000  copies  of  the  message  a  debate  was  precipitated  which  was  so  violent 
as  to  engender  a  bitter  feeling  among  those  who  took  part  in  it. 

To  understand  this  topic  it  will  be  necessary  to  review  some  of  our 
history.  Dueling  had  been  a  common  practice  between  "men  of  honor" 
for  many  years.  The  law  of  Illinois  regarded  dueling  as  murder  when 
the  "affair"  ended  in  the  death  of  either  party.  For  being  engaged 
in  one  of  these  affairs  when  death  was  not  the  result,  the  punishment 
was  a  disability  from  holding  any  office  of  honor,  trust,  or  profit,  and 
a  fine.  But  the  laws  were  seldom  executed  though  many  prominent 
citizens  were  entangled  in  these  "affairs  of  honor." 

OFFICIAL  OATH  AGAINST  DUELING 

In  the  constitutional  convention  of  1847.  there  was  found  a  very 
strong  sentiment  in  favor  of  some  measure  which  would  effectually  put 
a  check  to  this  heathenish  practice.  It  was  noticed  that  most  of  the 
"affairs  of  honor"  had  been  between  men  who  either  were  or  hoped  to 
be  politicians  and  office  holders.  The  thouerht  was  presented  that  the 
practice  of  dueling  might  be  checked  by  adding  to  the  ordinary  oath  of 

253 


254  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

office  a  sort  of  iron-clad  oath  which  could  not  be  taken  by  those  who 
had  engaged  in  dueling.  Accordingly,  Mr.  R.  B.  Servant,  a  delegate 
from  Randolph  county,  introduced  Article  13,  Section  26,  which  is  as 
follows:  "That  from  and  after  the  adoption  of  this  constitution  every 
person  who  shall  be  elected  or  appointed  to  any  office  of  profit,  trust, 
or  emolument,  civil  or  military,  legislative,  executive  or  judicial  under 
the  government  of  this  State,  shall,  before  he  enters  upon  the  duties  of 
his  office,  in  addition  to  the  oath  prescribed  in  this  constitution,  take 
the  following  oath :  'I  do  solemnly  swear  (or  affirm  as  the  case  may  be) 
that  I  have  not  fought  a  duel,  nor  sent  or  accepted  a  challenge  to  fight 
a  duel,  the  probable  issue  of  which  might  have  been  the  death  of  either 
party,  nor  have  been  a  second  to  either  party,  nor  in  any  manner  aided 
or  assisted  in  such  duel,  nor  been  knowingly  the  bearer  of  such  chal- 
lenge or  acceptance,  since  the  adoption  of  the  constitution ;  and  that  I 
will  not  be  so  engaged  or  concerned,  directly  or  indirectly  in  or  about 
any  such  duel,  during  my  continuance  in  office.  So  help  me  God.'  " 

It  so  occurred  that  Colonel  Bissell,  while  a  member  of  congress  in 
1850,  sat  one  day  and  heard  a  member  from  Virginia,  Mr.  Seddon, 
speak  slightingly  of  the  conduct  of  the  Illinois  troops  in  the  battle  of 
Buena  Vista,  and  praise  the  valor  of  a  Mississippi  regiment  which  was 
commanded  that  day  by  Jefferson  Davis.  Colonel  Bissell  had  the  honor 
to  command  the  Second  Illinois  regiment  in  that  battle,  while  the  la- 
mented John  J.  Hardin  was  in  command  of  the  First  Illinois  regiment. 
Hardin  fell  dead  upon  the  battlefield  and  his  place  was  taken  by  Lieu- 
tenant Colonel  Weatherford.  Both  regiments  lost  heavily  in  the  battle 
— the  First  losing  45,  the  dead  being  29 ;  the  Second  lost  131,  the  dead 
numbering  62. 

Colonel  Bissell  resolved  not  to  rest  under  the  disgrace  thus  heaped 
upon  Illinois'  sons  living  and  dead,  and  although  a  new  member  he 
made  one  of  the  most  dashing,  and  brilliant  speeches  of  the  session  in 
which  he  proved  that  Davis'  regiment  was  not  within  a  mile  and  a  half 
of  the  battle  at  the  stated  time  and  never  fired  a  gun  in  that  part  of 
the  engagement.  Colonel  Bissell,  fired  by  his  patriotism  and  his  love 
for  the  dead  he  left  on  the  Mexican  soil,  marked  himself  as  one  of  the 
nation's  most  brilliant  orators.  Jefferson  Davis,  who  was  then  a  sena- 
tor from  Mississippi,  made  inquiry  of  Colonel  Bissell  by  means  of  a 
note  as  to  his  reflection  on  the  Mississippi  regiment.  Colonel  Bissell 's 
reply  was  of  such  a  nature  that  Davis  felt  called  upon  to  challenge 
Bissell  to  a  duel.  Bissell  accepted  the  challenge,  chose  army  muskets 
as  the  weapon  to  be  loaded  with  a  ball  and  three  buck  shots,  the  dis- 
tance being  forty  paces.  Bissell  was  in  earnest  and  before  the  hour  set 
for  the  duel  the  friends  had  succeeded  in  bringing  about  a  compro- 
mise, and  the  difficulty  was  adjusted. 

BISSELL-DAVIS  AFFAIR 

When  Colonel  Bissell  was  elected  governor  in  1857.  the  question 
naturally  arose  whether  he  could  fill  the  governor's  chair.  Colonel 
Bissell  and  his  friends  said  the  interpretation  of  the  constitution  was 
that  the  participants  should  have  taken  part  in  a  duel  in  the  territory 
of  Illinois,  but  that  since  he  was  in  Washington,  it  did  not  apply  to 
him.  After  his  inauguration  and  when  a  motion  was  made  to  print  his 
message  Bissell  was  violently  attacked  by  his  political  opponents.  It 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  255 

fell  to  John  A.  Logan  to  make  the  bitterest  speech  that  was  made.  Not 
only  on  this  occasion,  but  throughout  Governor  Bissell's  term  he  was 
relentlessly  pursued  by  the  majority  party  in  the  house.  The  Demo- 
crats of  the  senate  appear  to  have  been  less  resentful. 

The  summer  of  1858  witnessed  another  very  exciting  contest  be- 
tween the  Democratic  and  the  Republican  parties.  Congressmen,  mem- 
bers of  the  lower  house  of  the  legislature,  a  treasurer,  and  a  superin- 
tendent of  public  instruction  were  to  be  elected.  The  legislature  which 
would  meet  in  January,  1859,  would  select  a  successor  to  Senator  Ste- 
phen A.  Douglas. 

The  campaign  opened  by  the  meeting  of  the  Democratic  State  Con- 
vention in  Springfield,  April  21.  For  treasurer,  W.  B.  Fondey  was 
nominated,  while  ex-Governor  Augustus  C.  French  was  nominated  for 
state  superintendent  of  public  instruction.  This  convention,  while 
representing  the  Democratic  party  did  not  endorse  Senator  Douglas  for 
re-election  to  that  position.  Since  Buchanan  had  been  President  he 
and  Douglas  had  had  radically  different  views  as  to  the  admission  of 
Kansas  into  the  Union,  and  as  a  result  the  federal  administration  was 
not  willing  to  endorse  Douglas  for  the  senatorship  and  although  the 
convention  praised  his  course  in  congress,  it  failed  formally  to  endorse 
his  candidacy  for  a  return  to  the  senate.  The  federal  office  holders 
and  a  few  anti-Douglas  Democrats  held  a  convention  and  nominated 
John  Dougherty  for  treasurer,  and  ex-Governor  John  Reynolds  for 
state  superintendent  of  public  instruction.  This  was  called  the  Na- 
tional Democratic  party.  It  was  also  called  the  Buchanan  Democratic 
party.  It  received  a  few  more  than  5,000  votes. 

The  Republican  convention  met  in  Springfield  on  June  16,  1858, 
It  re-nominated  James  Miller  for  treasurer  and  Newton  Bateman  for 
superintendent  of  schools.  But  this  work  was  not  the  important  work 
of  the  convention.  For  months  before  the  meeting  of  the  convention 
all  eyes  in  the  Republican  party  had  been  turned  toward  Lincoln  as 
the  one  who  should  contest  the  senatorship  with  Douglas.  The  fact 
that  Douglas  had  broken  with  the  Buchanan  administration  was  re- 
garded by  some  in  the  east,  especially  Greeley,  of  the  New  York  Tribune, 
as  a  most  favorable  omen  for  the  Republican  party.  These  people  said 
to  the  Republicans  of  Illinois,  let  Douglas  return  to  the  senate,  he  can 
be  of  more  service  there  than  could  a  Republican.  In  fact  some  seemed 
to  think  that  because  Douglas  had  opposed  the  admission  of  Kansas 
with  the  Lecompton  constitution,  that  he  might  eventually  come  into 
the  Republican  fold.  This  word,  brought  back  by  William  Herndon, 
who  had  been  sent  east  to  gather  up  the  consensus  of  opinion  about. 
Lincoln,  was  very  discouraging. 

But,  however  much  the  east  might  doubt  the  wisdom  of  Lincoln's 
contesting  the  election  with  Douglas,  the  Republicans  of  Illinois  had  no 
such  misgivings.  Cook  county  came  to  the  Springfield  convention  with 
a  banner  which  read  Cook  County  for  Abraham  Lincoln.  A  down-state 
delegate  proposed  an  amendment  to  the  Cook  county  proposition.  He 
proposed  to  substitute  Illinois  for  Cook  county  and  the  amendment 
was  passed  unanimously.  Lincoln  was  formally  endorsed  as  the  can- 
didate of  the  Republican  party  for  Senator  Douglas'  place  in  the 
United  States  senate. 

Lincoln,  knowing  that  he  would  likely  be  nominated  or  endorsed  by 
this  convention,  prepared  a  carefully  arranged  statement  of  his  views 


256  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

and  of  the  line  of  argument  he  should  use  in  the  canvass.  It  is  claimed 
by  Mr.  Herndon,  who  was  Lincoln's  law  partner,  that  Lincoln  showed 
his  speech  to  a  number  of  his  friends  and  they  all,  except  Mr.  Hern- 
don,  tried  to  dissuade  Mr.  Lincoln  from  expressing  himself  so  radically. 
But  Lincoln  insisted  on  giving  the  speech  as  he  had  prepared  it.  This 
is  called  the  "House  divided  against  itself  speech."  "A  house  divided 
against  itself  can  not  stand.  I  believe  this  government  cannot  endure 
permanently  half-slave  and  half-free." 

This  speech  of  Mr.  Lincoln  was  delivered  from  manuscript,  and  Mr. 
Horace  White  says  that  Lincoln  regarded  it  as  the  most  important  of 
his  speeches.  The  issues  were  joined  between  Mr.  Lincoln  and  Mr. 
Douglas  and  there  was  no  way  to  prevent  a  great  political  contest  be- 
tween the  two  men. 

Senator  Douglas  returned  from  Washington,  arriving  in  Chicago 
July  9,  1858,  where  he  was  welcomed  by  thousands  of  enthusiastic  ad- 
mirers. He  delivered  a  speech  from  the  balcony  of  the  old  Tremont 
House  on  Lake  street.  In  this  speech  he  presented  mainly  the  doctrine 
of  Popular  Sovereignty.  On  the  evening  of  the  10th  of  July,  Lincoln 
answered  Douglas,  speaking  from  the  same  balcony.  Later  both  spoke 
in  Springfield.  While  these  were  not  joint  discussions,  they  served 
the  purpose  of  placing  before  the  people  of  the  two  congressional  dis- 
tricts in  which  Chicago  and  Springfield  were  situated  the  political  doc- 
trines of  the  two  men. 

LINCOLN-DOUGLAS  DEBATE 

On  July  24th  Mr.  Lincoln  addressed  a  note  to  Mr.  Douglas  asking 
him  if  a  series  of  joint  discussions  could  be  arranged.  Mr.  Douglas 
in  reply  stated  that  his  speaking  campaign  had  been  arranged,  and  it 
would  not  be  advisable  to  disarrange  it.  However,  he  proposed  to  Mr. 
Lincoln  to  arrange  seven  appointments,  one  in  each  congressional  dis- 
trict in  which  they  had  not  yet  spoken,  and  in  these  districts  hold  joint 
debates.  He  volunteered  to  select  the  seven  towns  in  which  the  meet- 
ings might  be  held. 

Mr.  Lincoln  answered  Mr.  Douglas  on  July  29th  and  Mr.  Douglas 
wrote  finally  to  Mr.  Lincoln  on  July  30th.  In  his  letter  of  the  30th, 
Mr.  Douglas  wrote  as  follows: 

BEMENT.  PIATT  Co..  July  30.  1858 — Dear  Sir:  Your  letter  dated  yesterday, 
accepting  my  proposition  for  a  joint  discussion  at  one  prominent  point  In  each 
Congressional  District,  as  stated  in  my  previous  letter,  was  received  this  morn- 
Ing.  The  times  and  places  designated  are  as  follows : 

Ottawa,  La  Salle  county.  August  21,  1858. 

Freeport,   Stephenson  county.  August  27,  1858. 

Jonesboro,   Union   county,   September  15,  1858. 

Charleston,  Coles  county,  September  18,  1858. 

Galesburg,  Knox  county.  October  7,  1858. 

Quincy.  Adams  county,  October  13,  1858. 

Alton,  Madison  county,  October  15,  1858. 

I  agree  to  your  suggestion  that  we  shall  alternately  open  and  close  the  dis- 
cussion. I  will  speak  at  Ottawa  one  hour,  you  can  reply,  occupying  one  hour  and 
a  half,  and  I  will  then  follow  for  half  an  hour.  At  Freeport,  you  shall  open  the 
discussion  and  speak  for  one  hour ;  I  will  follow  for  an  hour  and  a  half,  and  you 
can  reply  for  half  an  hour.  We  will  alternate  in  like  manner  in  each  successive 
place. 

Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

S.  W.  DOUGLAS. 

HON.  A.  LINCOLN,  Springfield,  111. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  273 

their  first  choice,  or  their  last  choice,  but  their  only  choice.  The 
Black  Republican  party  had  nobody  else.  Browning  was  nowhere; 
Governor  Bissell  was  of  no  account ;  Archie  Williams  was  not  to  be 
taken  into  consideration ;  John  Wentworth  was  not  worth  mention- 
ing; John  M.  Palmer  was  degraded;  and  their  party  presented  the 
extraordinary  spectacle  of  having  but  one — the  first,  the  last,  and  only 
choice  for  the  senate.  Suppose  that  Lincoln  should  die,  what  a  hor- 
rible condition  the  Republican  party  would  be  in!  They  would  have 
nobody  left.  They  have  no  other  choice,  and  it  was  necessary  for 
them  to  put  themselves  before  the  world  in  this  ludicrous,  ridiculous 
attitude  of  having  no  other  choice  in  order  to  quiet  Lincoln's  sus- 
picions, and  assure  him  that  he  was  not  to  be  cheated  by  Lovejoy,  and 
the  trickery  by  which  Trumbull  outgeneraled  him.  Well,  gentlemen, 
I  think  they  will  have  a  nice  time  of  it  before  they  get  through.  I 
do  not  intend  to  give  them  any  chance  to  cheat  Lincoln  at  all  this 
time.  I  intend  to  relieve  him  of  all  anxiety  upon  that  subject,  and 
spare  them  the  mortification  of  more  exposures  of  contracts  violated, 
and  the  pledged  honor  of  rogues  forfeited. 

But  I  wish  to  invite  your  attention  to  the  chief  points  at  issue  be- 
tween Mr.  Lincoln  and  myself  in  this  discussion.  Mr.  Lincoln  know- 
ing that  he  was  to  be  the  candidate  of  his  party  on  account  of  the 
arrangement  of  which  I  have  already  spoken,  knowing  that  he  was  to 
receive  the  nomination  of  the  convention  for  the  United  States  senate, 
had  his  speech,  accepting  that  nomination,  all  written  and  committed 
to  memory,  ready  to  be  delivered  the  moment  the  nomination  was  an- 
nounced. Accordingly,  when  it  was  made,  he  was  in  readiness,  and 
delivered  his  speech,  a  portion  of  which  I  will  read  in  order  that  I  may 
state  his  political  principles  fairly,  by  repeating  them  in  his  own  Ian. 
guage : 

"We  are  now  far  into  the  fifth  year  since  a  policy  was  instituted 
for  the  avowed  object,  and  with  the  confident  promise  of  putting  an 
end  to  slavery  agitation ;  under  the  operation  of  that  policy,  that 
agitation  has  not  only  not  ceased,  but  has  constantly  augmented.  I 
believe  it  will  not  cease  until  a  crisis  shall  have  been  reached  and 
passed.  'A  house  divided  against  itself  cannot  stand.'  I  believe  this 
government  cannot  endure  permanently  half  slave  and  half  free.  I 
do  not  expect  the  Union  to  be  dissolved.  I  do  not  expect  the  house  to 
fall,  but  I  do  expect  it  will  cease  to  be  divided.  It  will  become  all  one 
thing  or  all  the  other.  Either  the  opponents  of  slavery  will  arrest  the 
spread  of  it,  and  place  it  where  the  public  mind  shall  rest  in  the  belief 
that  it  is  in  the  course  of  ultimate  extinction,  or  its  advocates  will  push  it 
forward  until  it  shall  become  alike  lawful  in  all  the  states,  north  as  well 
as  south." 

There  you  have  Mr.  Lincoln's  first  and  main  proposition,  upon 
which  he  bases  his  claims,  stated  in  his  own  language.  He  tells  you 
that  this  republic  cannot  endure  permanently  divided  into  slave  and 
free  states,  as  our  fathers  made  it.  He  says  that  they  must  all  be- 
come free  or  all  become  slave,  that  they  must  all  be  one  thing  or  all 
be  the  other,  or  this  government  cannot  last.  Why  can  it  not  last,  if 
we  will  execute  the  government  in  the  same  spirit  and  upon  the  same 
principles  upon  which  it  is  founded?  Lincoln,  by  his  proposition, 
says  to  the  south.  "If  you  desire  to  maintain  your  institutions  as  they 
are  now,  you  must  not  be  satisfied  with  minding  your  own  business, 


274  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

but  you  must  invade  Illinois  and  all  the  other  northern  states,  estab- 
lish slavery  in  them,  and  make  it  universal;"  and  in  the  same  lan- 
guage he  says  to  the  north,  "You  must  not  be  content  with  regulating 
your  own  affairs,  and  minding  your  own  business,  but  if  you  desire  to 
maintain  your  freedom,  you  must  invade  the  southern  states,  abolish 
slavery  there  and  everywhere,  in  order  to  have  the  states  all  one  thing 
or  all  the  other."  I  say  that  this  is  the  inevitable  and  irresistible  re- 
sult of  Mr.  Lincoln's  argument,  inviting  a  warfare  between  the  north 
and  the  south,  to  be  carried  on  with  ruthless  vengeance,  until  the  one 
section  or  the  other  shall  be  driven  to  the  wall,  and  become  the  vic- 
tim of  the  rapacity  of  the  other.  What  good  would  follow  such  a 
system  of  warfare?  Suppose  the  north  should  succeed  in  conquer- 
ing the  south,  how  much  would  she  be  the  gainer?  or  suppose  the  south 
should  conquer  the  north,  could  the  union  be  preserved  in  that  way? 
Is  this  sectional  warfare  to  be  waged  between  northern  states  and 
southern  states  until  they  all  shall  become  uniform  in  their  local  and 
domestic  institutions  merely  because  Mr.  Lincoln  says  that  a  house 
divided  against  itself  cannot  stand,  and  pretends  that  this  scriptural 
quotation,  this  language  of  our  Lord  and  Master,  is  applicable  to  the 
American  Union  and  the  American  Constitution?  Washington  and  his 
compeers,  in  the  convention  that  framed  the  constitution,  made  this 
government  divided  into  free  and  slave  states.  It  was  composed  then 
of  thirteen  sovereign  and  independent  states,  each  having  sovereign 
authority  over  its  local  and  domestic  institutions,  and  all  bound  to- 
gether by  the  federal  constitution.  Mr.  Lincoln  likens  that  bond  of  the 
federal  constitution,  joining  free  and  slave  states  together,  to  a  house 
divided  against  itself,  and  says  that  it  is  contrary  to  the  law  of  God 
and  cannot  stand.  When  did  he  learn,  and  by  what  authority  does 
he  proclaim,  that  this  government  is  contrary  to  the  law  of  God  and 
cannot  stand?  It  has  stood  thus  divided  into  free  and  slave  states 
from  its  organization  up  to  this  day.  During  that  period  we  have  in- 
creased from  four  millions  to  thirty  millions  of  people ;  we  have  ex- 
tended our  territory  from  the  Mississippi  to  the  Pacific  ocean ;  we  have 
acquired  the  Floridas  and  Texas,  and  other  territory  sufficient  to  dou- 
ble our  geographical  extent;  we  have  increased  in  population,  in 
wealth,  and  in  power  beyond  any  example  on  earth ;  we  have  risen 
from  a  weak  and  feeble  power  to  become  the  terror  and  admiration 
of  the  civilized  world ;  and  all  this  has  been  done  under  a  constitution 
which  Mr.  Lincoln,  in  substance,  says  is  in  violation  of  the  law  of 
God,  and  under  a  Union  divided  into  free  and  slave  states,  which  Mr. 
Lincoln  thinks,  because  of  such  division,  cannot  stand.  Surely,  Mr. 
Lincoln  is  a  wiser  man  than  those  who  framed  the  government.  Wash- 
ington did  not  believe,  nor  did  his  compatriots,  that  the  local  laws 
and  domestic  institutions  that  were  well  adapted  to  the  Green  moun- 
tains of  Vermont  were  suited  to  the  rice  plantations  of  South  Carolina ; 
they  did  not  believe  at  that  day  that  in  a  republic  so  broad  and  expanded 
as  this,  containing  such  a  variety  of  climate,  soil,  and  interest,  that 
uniformity  in  the  local  laws  and  domestic  institutions  was  either  de- 
sirable or  possible.  They  believed  then  as  our  experience  has  proved 
to  us  now,  that  each  locality,  having  different  interests,  a  different 
climate  and  different  surroundings,  required  different  local  laws,  local 
policy  and  local  institutions,  adapted  to  the  wants  of  that  locality. 
Thus  our  government  was  formed  on  the  principle  of  diversity  in  the 
local  institutions  and  laws,  and  not  on  that  of  uniformity. 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  275 

As  my  time  flies,  I  can  only  glance  at  these  points  and  not  present 
them  as  fully  as  I  would  wish,  because  I  desire  to  bring  all  the  points 
in  controversy  between  the  two  parties  before  you  in  order  to  have 
Mr.  Lincoln's  reply.  He  makes  war  on  the  decision  of  the  supreme 
court,  in  the  case  known  as  the  Dred  Scott  case.  I  wish  to  say  to  you, 
fellow-citizens,  that  I  have  no  war  to  make  on  that  decision,  or  any 
other  ever  rendered  by  the  supreme  court.  I  am  content  to  take  that 
decision  as  it  stands  delivered  by  the  highest  judicial  tribunal  on 
earth,  a  tribunal  established  by  the  constitution  of  the  United  States 
for  that  purpose,  and  hence  that  decision  becomes  the  law  of  the 
land,  binding  on  you,  on  me,  and  on  every  other  good  citizen,  whether 
we  like  it  or  not.  Hence  I  do  not  choose  to  go  into  an  argument  to 
prove,  before  this  audience,  whether  or  not  Chief  Justice  Taney  under- 
stood the  law  better  than  Abraham  Lincoln. 

Mr.  Lincoln  objects  to  that  decision,  first  and  mainly  because  it  de- 
prives the  negro  of  the  rights  of  citizenship.  I  am  as  much  opposed 
to  his  reason  for  that  objection  as  I  am  to  the  objection  itself.  I  hold 
that  a  negro  is  not  and  never  ought  to  be  a  citizen  of  the  United  States. 
I  hold  that  this  government  was  made  on  the  white  basis,  by  white 
men,  for  the  benefit  of  white  men  and  their  posterity  forever,  and 
should  be  administered  by  white  men  and  none  others.  I  do  not  be- 
lieve that  the  Almighty  made  the  negro  capable  of  self-government. 
I  am  aware  that  all  the  Abolition  lecturers  that  you  find  traveling 
about  through  the  country,  are  in  the  habit  of  reading  the  Declara- 
tion of  Independence  to  prove  that  all  men  were  created  equal  and  en- 
dowed by  their  Creator  with  certain  inalienable  rights,  among  which 
are  life,  liberty,  and  the  pursuit  of  happiness.  Mr.  Lincoln  is  very 
much  in  the  habit  of  following  in  the  track  of  Lovejoy  in  this  particu- 
lar, by  reading  that  part  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence  to  prove 
that  the  negro  was  endowed  by  the  Almighty  with  the  inalienable 
right  of  equality  with  the  white  men.  Now,  I  say  to  you,  my  fellow- 
citizens,  that  in  my  opinion,  the  signers  of  the  declaration  had  no 
reference  to  the  negro  whatever,  when  they  declared  all  men  to  be 
created  equal.  They  desired  to  express  by  that  phrase  white  men, 
men  of  European  birth  and  European  descent,  and  had  no  reference 
either  to  the  negro,  the  savage  Indians,  the  Fejee,  the  Malay,  or  any 
other  inferior  and  degraded  race,  when  they  spoke  of  the  equality  of 
men.  One  great  evidence  that  such  was  their  understanding,  is  to  be 
found  in  the  fact  that  at  that  time  every  one  of  the  thirteen  colonies 
was  a  slaveholding  colony,  every  signer  of  the  declaration  represented 
a  slaveholding  constituency,  and  we  know  that  no  one  of  them  eman- 
cipated his  slaves,  much  less  offered  citizenship  to  them  when  they 
signed  the  declaration ;  and  yet,  if  they  intended  to  declare  that  the 
negro  was  the  equal  of  the  white  man,  and  entitled  by  divine  right  to 
an  equality  with  him,  they  were  bound,  as  honest  men,  that  day  and 
hour  to  have  put  their  negroes  on  an  equality  with  themselves.  In- 
stead of  doing  so,  with  uplifted  eyes  to  heaven  they  implored  the  di- 
vine blessing  upon  them,  during  the  seven  years'  bloody  war  they  had 
to  fight  to  maintain  that  declaration,  never  dreaming  that  they  were 
violating  divine  law  by  still  holding  the  negroes  in  bondage  and  de- 
priving them  of  equality. 

My  friends.  I  am  in  favor  of  preserving  this  government  as  our 
fathers  made   it.     It  does  not   follow  by  any  means  that  because   a 


276  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

negro  is  not  your  equal  or  mine,  that  hence  he  must  necessarily  be  a 
slave.  On  the  contrary,  it  does  follow  that  we  ought  to  extend  to 
the  negro  every  right,  every  privilege,  every  immunity  which  he  is 
capable  of  enjoying,  consistent  with  the  good  of  society.  When  you 
ask  me  what  these  rights  are,  what  their  nature  and  extent  is,  I  tell 
you  that  is  a  question  which  each  state  of  this  union  must  decide  for 
itself.  Illinois  has  already  decided  the  question.  We  have  decided 
that  the  negro  must  not  be  a  slave  within  our  limits,  but  we  have  also 
decided  that  the  negro  shall  not  be  a  citizen  within  our  limits;  that 
he  shall  not  vote,  hold  office,  or  exercise  any  political  rights.  I  main- 
tain that  Illinois,  as  a  sovereign  state,  has  a  right  thus  to  fix  her 
policy  with  reference  to  the  relation  between  the  white  man  and  the 
negro ;  but  while  we  had  that  right  to  decide  the  question  for  our- 
selves, we  must  recognize  the  same  right  in  Kentucky  and  in  every  other 
state  to  make  the  same  decision,  or  a  different  one.  Having  decided 
our  own  policy  with  reference  to  the  black  race,  we  must  leave  Ken- 
tucky and  Missouri  and  every  other  state  perfectly  free  to  make  just 
such  a  decision  as  they  see  proper  on  that  question. 

Kentucky  has  decided  that  question  for  herself.  She  has  said  that 
within  her  limits  a  negro  shall  not  exercise  any  political  rights,  and  she 
has  also  said  that  a  portion  of  the  negroes  under  the  laws  of  that  state 
shall  be  slaves.  She  had  as  much  right  to  adopt  that  as  her  policy  as 
we  had  to  adopt  the  contrary  for  our  policy.  New  York  has  decided 
that  in  that  state  a  negro  may  vote  if  he  has  $250  worth  of  property, 
and  if  he  owns  that  much  he  may  vote  upon  an  equality  with  the  white 
man.  I,  for  one, .am  utterly  opposed  to  negro  suffrage  any  where  and 
under  any  circumstances;  yet,  inasmuch  as  the  supreme  court  have 
decided  in  the  celebrated  Dred  Scott  case  that  a  state  has  a  right  to 
confer  the  privilege  of  voting  upon  free  negroes,  I  am  not  going  to 
make  war  upon  New  York  because  she  has  adopted  a  policy  repug- 
nant to  my  feelings.  But  New  York  must  mind  her  own  business,  and 
keep  her  negro  suffrage  to  herself,  and  not  attempt  to  force  it  upon  us. 

In  the  state  of  Maine  they  have  decided  that  a  negro  may  vote  and 
hold  office  on  an  equality  with  a  white  man.  I  had  occasion  to  say  to 
the  senators  from  Maine,  in  a  discussion  last  session,  that  if  they 
thought  that  the  white  people  within  the  limits  of  their  state  were  no 
better  than  negroes,  I  would  not  quarrel  with  them  for  it,  but  they 
must  not  say  that  my  white  constituents  of  Illinois  were  no  better 
than  negroes,  or  we  would  be  sure  to  quarrel. 

The  Dred  Scott  decision  covers  the  whole  question,  and  declares 
that  each  state  has  the  right  to  settle  this  question  of  suffrage  for  it- 
self, and  all  questions  as  to  the  relations  between  the  white  man  and 
the  negro.  Judge  Taney  expressly  lays  down  the  doctrine.  I  receive 
it  as  law,  and  I  say  that  while  those  states  are  adopting  regulations  on 
that  subject  disgusting  and  abhorrent,  according  to  my  views,  I  will 
not  make  war  on  them  if  they  will  mind  their  own  business  and  let  us 
alone. 

I  now  come  back  to  the  question,  why  cannot  this  Union  exist  forever 
divided  into  free  and  slave  state,  as  our  fathers  made  it  ?  It  can  thus 
exist  if  each  state  will  carry  out  the  principles  upon  which  our  insti- 
tutions were  founded,  to  wit:  the  right  of  each  state  to  do  as  it  pleases, 
without  meddling  with  it  neighbors.  Just  act  upon  that  great  prin- 
ciple, and  this  union  will  not  only  live  forever,  but  it  will  extend  and  ex- 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  277 

pand  until  it  covers  the  whole  continent,  and  makes  this  confederacy 
one  grand,  ocean-bound  republic.  We  must  bear  in  mind  that  we  are 
yet  a  young  nation,  growing  with  a  rapidity  unequaled  in  the  history 
of  the  world,  that  our  national  increase  is  great,  and  that  the  emigra- 
tion from  the  old  world  is  increasing,  requiring  us  to  expand  and  ac- 
quire new  territory  from  time  to  time,  in  order  to  give  our  people 
land  to  live  upon.  If  we  live  upon  the  principle  of  state  rights  and 
state  sovereignty,  each  state  regulating  it  own  affairs  and  minding  its 
own  business,  we  can  go  on  and  extend  indefinitely,  just  as  fast  and 
as  far  as  we  need  the  territory.  The  time  may  come,  indeed  has  now 
come,  when  our  interests  would  be  advanced  by  the  acquisition  of  the 
Island  of  Cuba.  When  we  get  Cuba  we  must  take  it  as  we  find  it, 
leaving  the  people  to  decide  the  question  of  slavery  for  themselves, 
without  interference  on  the  part  of  the  federal  government,  or  of  any 
state  of  this  Union.  So,  when  it  becomes  necessary  to  acquire  any  por- 
tion of  Mexico  or  Canada,  or  of  this  continent  or  the  adjoining  is- 
lands, we  must  take  them  as  we  find  them,  leaving  the  people  free  to 
do  as  they  please — to  have  slavery  or  not,  as  they  choose.  I  never 
have  inquired  and  never  will  inquire  whether  a  new  state,  applying 
for  admission,  has  slavery  or  not  for  one  of  her  institutions.  If  the 
constitution  that  is  presented  be  the  act  and  deed  of  the  people,  and 
embodies  their  will,  and  they  have  the  requisite  population,  I  will  ad- 
mit them  with  slavery  or  without  it,  just  as  that  people  shall  deter- 
mine. My  objection  to  the  Lecompton  constitution  did  not  consist  in 
the  fact  that  it  made  Kansas  a  slave  state.  I  would  have  been  as  much 
opposed  to  its  admission  under  such  a  constitution  as  a  free  state  as 
I  was  opposed  to  its  admission  under  it  as  a  slave  state.  I  hold  that 
that  was  a  question  which  that  people  had  a  right  to  decide  for  them- 
selves, and  that  no  power  on  earth  ought  to  have  interfered  with  that 
decision.  In  my  opinion,  the  Lecompton  constitution  was  not  the  act 
and  deed  of  the  people  of  Kansas,  and  did  not  embody  their  will,  and 
the  recent  election  in  that  territory,  at  which  it  was  voted  down  by 
nearly  ten  to  one,  shows  conclusively  that  I  was  right  in  saying,  when 
the  constitution  was  presented,  that  it  was  not  the  act  and  deed  of  the 
people,  and  did  not  embody  their  will. 

If  we  wish  to  preserve  our  institutions  in  their  purity,  and  trans- 
mit them  unimpaired  to  our  latest  posterity,  we  must  preserve  with 
religious  good  faith  that  great  principle  of  self-government  which 
guarantees  to  each  and  every  state,  old  and  new,  the  right  to  make 
just  such  constitutions  as  they  desire,  and  come  into  the  union  with 
their  own  constitution,  and  not  one  palmed  upon  them.  Whenever 
you  sanction  the  doctrine  that  congress  may  crowd  a  constitution 
down  the  throats  of  an  unwilling  people,  against  their  consent,  you 
will  subvert  the  great  fundamental  principle  upon  which  all  our  free 
institutions  rest.  In  the  future  I  have  no  fear  that  the  attempt  will 
ever  be  made.  President  Buchanan  declared  in  his  annual  message, 
that  hereafter  the  rule  adopted  in  the  Minnesota  case,  requiring  a 
constitution  to  be  submitted  to  the  people,  should  be  followed  in  all 
future  cases,  and  if  he  stands  by  that  recommendation  there  will  be 
no  division  in  the  Democratic  party  on  that  principle  in  the  future. 
Hence,  the  great  mission  of  the  Democracy  is  to  unite  the  fraternal 
feeling  of  the  whole  country,  restore  peace  and  quiet,  by  teaching 
each  state  to  mind  its  own  business,  and  regulate  its  own  domestic 


278  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

affairs,  and  all  to  unite  in  carrying  out  the  constitution  as  our  fathers 
made  it,  and  thus  to  preserve  the  Union  and  render  it  perpetual  in  all 
time  to  come.  Why  should  we  not  act  as  our  fathers  who  made  the 
government?  There  was  no  sectional  strife  in  Washington's  army. 
They  were  all  brethern  of  a  common  confederacy;  they  fought  under 
a  common  flag  that  they  might  bestow  upon  their  posterity  a  common 
destiny,  and  to  this  end  they  poured  out  their  blood  in  common  streams, 
and  shared,  in  some  instances,  a  common  grave. 

ME.  LINCOLN'S  REPLY 

Ladies  and  Gentlemen:  There  is  very  much  in  the  principles  that 
Judge  Douglas  has  here  enunciated  that  I  most  cordially  approve,  and 
over  which  I  shall  have  no  controversy  with  him.  In  so  far  as  he  has 
insisted  that  all  the  states  have  the  right  to  do  exactly  as  they  please 
about  all  their  domestic  relations,  including  that  of  slavery,  I  agree 
entirely  with  him.  He  places  me  wrong  in  spite  of  all  I  can  tell  him, 
though  I  repeat  it  again  and  again,  insisting  that  I  have  no  difference 
with  him  upon  this  subject.  I  have  made  a  great  many  speeches,  some 
of  which  have  been  printed,  and  it  will  be  utterly  impossible  for  him 
to  find  anything  that  I  have  ever  put  in  print  contrary  to  what  I  now 
say  upon  this  subject.  I  hold  myself  under  constitutional  obligations 
to  allow  the  people  in  all  the  states,  without  interference,  direct  or  in- 
direct, to  do  exactly  as  they  please,  and  1  deny  that  I  have  any  inclina- 
tion to  interfere  with  them,  even  if  there  were  no  such  constitutional 
obligation.  I  can  only  say  again  that  I  am  placed  improperly — alto- 
gether improperly,  in  spite  of  all  I  can  say — when  it  is  insisted  that  I 
entertain  any  other  view  or  purposes  in  regard  to  that  matter. 

While  I  am  upon  this  subject,  I  will  make  some  answers  briefly  to 
certain  propositions  that  Judge  Douglas  has  put.  He  says,  "Why  can't 
this  Union  endure  permanently,  half  slave  and  half  free  ? "  I  have  said 
that  I  supposed  it  could  not,  and  I  will  try,  before  this  new  audience, 
to  give  briefly  some  of  the  reasons  for  entertaining  that  opinion.  An- 
other form  of  his  question  is,  "Why  can't  we  let  it  stand  as  our  fathers 
placed  it  ? "  That  is  the  exact  difficulty  between  us.  I  say,  that  Judge 
Douglas  and  his  friends  have  changed  them  from  the  position  in  which 
our  fathers  originally  placed  it.  I  say  in  the  way  our  fathers  originally 
left  the  slavery  question,  the  institution  was  in  the  course  of  ultimate 
extinction,  and  the  public  mind  rested  in  the  belief  that  it  was  in  the 
course  of  ultimate  extinction.  I  say  when  this  government  was  first 
established,  it  was  the  policy  of  its  founders  to  prohibit  the  spread  of 
slavery  into  the  new  territories  of  the  United  States,  where  it  had  not 
existed.  But  Judge  Douglas  and  his  friends  have  broken  up  that  policy, 
and  placed  it  upon  a  new  basis  by  which  it  is  to  become  national  and 
perpetual.  All  I  have  asked  or  desired  any  where  is  that  it  should  be 
placed  back  again  upon  the  basis  that  the  fathers  of  our  government 
originally  placed  it  upon.  I  have  no  doubt  that  it  would  become  ex- 
tinct, for  all  time  to  come,  if  we  but  readopted  the  policy  of  the  fathers 
by  restricting  it  to  the  limits  it  has  already  covered — restricting  it  from 
the  new  territories. 

I  do  not  wish  to  dwell  at  great  length  on  this  branch  of  the  subject 
at  this  time,  but  allow  me  to  repeat  one  thing  that  I  have  stated  before. 
Brooks,  the  man  who  assaulted  Senator  Sumner  on  the  floor  of  the  sen- 
ate, and  who  was  complimented  with  dinners,  and  silver  pitchers,  and 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  279 

gold-headed  canes,  and  a  good  many  other  things  for  that  feat,  in  one 
of  his  speeches  declared  that  when  this  government  was  originally  es- 
tablished, nobody  expected  that  the  institution  of  slavery  would  last 
until  this  day.  That  was  but  the  opinion  of  one  man,  but  it  was  such 
an  opinion  as  we  can  never  get  from  Judge  Douglas  or  anybody  in  favor 
of  slavery  in  the  north  at  all.  You  can  sometimes  get  it  from  a  south- 
ern man.  He  said  at  the  same  time  that  the  framers  of  our  government 
did  not  have  the  knowledge  that  experience  has  taught  us — that  expe- 
rience and  the  invention  of  the  cotton-gin  have  taught  us  that  the  per- 
petuation of  slavery  is  a  necessity.  He  insisted,  therefore,  upon  its 
being  changed  from  the  basis  upon  which  the  fathers  of  the  government 
left  it  to  the  basis  of  its  perpetuation  and  nationalization. 

I  insist  that  this  is  the  difference  between  Judge  Douglas  and  my- 
self— that  Judge  Douglas  is  helping  that  change  along.  1  insist  upon 
this  government  being  placed  where  our  fathers  originally  placed  it. 

I  remember  Judge  Douglas  once  said  that  he  saw  the  evidences  on 
the  statute  books  of  congress,  of  a  policy  in  the  origin  of  government 
to  divide  slavery  and  freedom  by  a  geographical  line— that  he  saw  an 
indisposition  to  maintain  that  policy,  and  therefore  he  set  about  study- 
ing up  a  way  to  settle  the  institution  on  the  right  basis — the  basis 
which  he  thought  it  ought  to  have  been  placed  upon  at  first ;  and  in 
that  speech  he  confessed  that  he  seeks  to  place  it,  not  upon  the  basis 
that  the  fathers  placed  it  upon,  but  upon  one  gotten  up  on  "original 
principles. ' '  When  he  asks  me  why  we  cannot  get  along  with  it  in  the 
attitude  where  our  fathers  placed  it,  he  had  better  clear  up  the  evi- 
dences that  he  has  himself  changed  it  from  that  basis ;  that  he  has  him- 
self been  chiefly  instrumental  in  changing  the  policy  of  the  fathers. 
Any  one  who  will  read  his  speech  of  the  twenty-second  of  last  March, 
will  see  that  he  there  makes  an  open  confession,  showing  that  he  set 
about  fixing  the  institution  upon  an  altogether  different  set  of  princi- 
ples. I  think  I  have  fully  answered  him  when  he  asks  me  why  we  can- 
not let  it  alone  upon  the  basis  where  our  fathers  left  it,  by  showing 
that  he  himself  changed  the  whole  policy  of  the  government  in  that 
regard. 

Now,  fellow-citizens,  in  regard  to  this  matter  about  a  contract  that 
was  made  between  Judge  Trumbull  and  myself,  and  all  that  long  por- 
tion of  Judge  Douglas's  speech  on  this  subject — I  wish  simply  to  say 
what  I  have  said  to  him  before,  that  he  cannot  know  whether  it  is  true 
or  not,  and  I  do  know  that  there  is  not  a  word  of  truth  in  it.  And  I 
have  told  him  so  before.  1  don't  want  any  harsh  language  indulged  in, 
but  I  do  not  know  how  to  deal  with  this  persistent  insisting  on  a  story 
that  I  know  to  be  utterly  without  truth.  It  used  to  be  a  fashion  amongst 
men  that  when  a  charge  was  made,  some  sort  of  proof  was  brought 
forward  to  establish  it,  and  if  no  proof  was  found  to  exist,  the  charge 
was  dropped.  I  don't  know  how  to  meet  this  kind  of  an  argument.  I 
don't  want  to  have  a  fight  with  Judge  Douglas,  and  I  have  no  way  of 
making  an  argument  up  into  the  consistency  of  a  corn-cob  and  stop- 
ping his  mouth  with  it.  All  I  can  do  is,  good-humoredly  to  say  that, 
from  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  all  that  story  about  a  bargain  between 
Judge  Trumbull  and  myself,  there  is  not  a  word  of  truth  in  it.  I  can 
only  ask  him  to  show  some  sort  of  evidence  of  the  truth  of  his  story. 
He  brings  forward  here  and  reads  from  what  he  contends  is  a  speech 
by  James  H.  Matheny,  charging  such  a  bargain  between  Trumbull  and 


280  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

myself.  My  own  opinion  is  that  Matheny  did  do  some  such  immoral 
thing  as  to  tell  a  story  that  he  knew  nothing  about.  I  believe  he  did. 
I  contradicted  it  instantly,  and  it  has  been  contradicted  by  Judge 
Trumbull,  while  nobody  has  produced  any  proof,  because  there  is 
none.  Now,  whether  the  speech  which  the  Judge  brings  forward  here 
is  really  the  one  Matheny  made  I  do  not  know,  and  I  hope  the  Judge 
will  pardon  me  for  doubting  the  genuineness  of  this  document,  since 
his  production  of  those  Springfield  resolutions  at  Ottawa.  1  do  not 
wish  to  dwell  at  any  great  length  upon  this  matter.  I  can  say  noth- 
ing when  a  long  story  like  this  is  told,  except  it  is  not  true,  and  demand 
that  he  who  insists  upon  it  shall  produce  some  proof.  That  is  all  any 
man  can  do,  and  I  leave  it  that  way,  for  I  know  of  no  other  way  of 
dealing  with  it. 

The  Judge  has  gone  over  a  long  account  of  the  old  Whig  and  Demo- 
cratic parties,  and  it  connects  itself  with  this  charge  against  Trumbull 
and  myself.  He  says  that  they  agreed  upon  a  compromise  in  regard 
to  the  slavery  question  in  1850;  that  in  a  national  Democratic  conven- 
tion resolutions  were  passed  to  abide  by  that  compromise  as  a  finality 
upon  the  slavery  question.  He  also  says  that  the  Whig  party  in  national 
convention  agreed  to  abide  by  and  regard  as  a  finality  the  Compromise 
of  1850.  I  understand  the  Judge  to  be  altogether  right  about  that; 
I  understand  that  part  of  the  history  of  the  country  as  stated  by  him 
to  be  correct.  I  recollect  that  I,  as  a  member  of  that  party,  acquiesced 
in  that  compromise.  I  recollect  in  the  presidential  election  which  fol- 
lowed, when  we  had  General  Scott  up  for  the  presidency,  Judge  Doug- 
las was  around  berating  us  Whigs  as  Abolitionists,  precisely  as  he  does 
today — not  a  bit  of  difference.  I  have  often  heard  him.  We  could  do 
nothing  when  the  old  Whig  party  was  alive  that  was  not  Abolitionism, 
but  it  has  got  an  extremely  good  name  since  it  has  passed  away. 

When  that  compromise  was  made  it  did  not  repeal  the  old  Missouri 
Compromise.  It  left  a  region  of  United  States  territory  half  as  large 
as  the  present  territory  of  the  United  States,  north  of  the  line  of  36 
degrees  30  minutes,  in  which  slavery  was  prohibited  by  act  of  congress. 
This  compromise  did  not  repeal  that  one.  It  did  not  affect  or  propose 
to  repeal  it.  But  at  last  it  became  Judge  Douglas's  duty  as  he 
thought  (and  I  find  no  fault  with  him),  as  chairman  of  the  commit- 
tee on  territories,  to  bring  in  a  bill  for  the  organization  of  a  territorial 
government — first  of  one,  then  of  two  territories  north  of  that  line. 
When  he  did  so  it  ended  in  his  inserting  a  provision  substantially  re- 
pealing the  Missouri  Compromise.  That  was  because  the  Compromise 
of  1850  had  not  repealed  it.  And  now  I  ask  why  he  could  not  have  let 
that  compromise  alone?  We  were  quiet  from  the  agitation  of  the  slav- 
ery question.  We  were  making  no  fuss  about  it.  All  had  acquiesced 
in  the  compromise  measures  of  1850.  We  never  had  been  seriously  dis- 
turbed by  any  abolition  agitation  before  that  period.  When  he  came 
to  form  governments  for  the  territories  north  of  the  line  of  36  degrees 
30  minutes,  why  could  he  not  have  let  that  matter  stand  as  it  was 
standing?  Was  it  necessary  to  the  organization  of  a  territory?  Not 
at  all.  Iowa  lay  north  of  the  line  and  had  been  organized  as  a  terri- 
tory and  come  into  the  Union  as  a  state  without  disturbing  that  com- 
promise. There  was  no  sort  of  necessity  for  destroying  it  to  organize 
these  territories.  But,  gentlemen,  it  would  take  up  all  my  time  to  meet 
all  the  little  quibbling  arguments  of  Judge  Douglas  to  show  that  the 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  281 

Missouri  Compromise  was  repealed  by  the  Compromise  of  1850.  My, 
own  opinion  is,  that  a  careful  investigation  of  all  the  arguments  to 
sustain  the  position  that  that  compromise  was  virtually  repealed  by 
the  Compromise  of  1850,  would  show  that  they  are  the  merest  fallacies. 
I  have  the  report  that  Judge  Douglas  first  brought  into  congress  at  the 
time  of  the  introduction  of  the  Nebraska  bill,  which  in  its  original  form 
did  not  repeal  the  Missouri  Compromise,  and  he  there  expressly  stated 
that  he  had  forborne  to  do  so  because  it  had  not  been  done  by  the 
Compromise  of  1850.  I  close  this  part  of  the  discussion  on  my  part  by 
asking  him  the  question  again,  "Why,  when  we  had  peace  under  the 
Missouri  Compromise,  could  you  not  have  let  it  alone?" 

In  complaining  of  what  I  said  in  my  speech  at  Springfield,  in  which 
he  says  I  accepted  my  nomination  for  the  senate rship  (where,  by  the 
way,  he  is  at  fault,  for  if  he  will  examine  it,  he  will  find  no  acceptance 
in  it),  he  again  quotes  that  portion  in  which  I  said  that  "a  house 
divided  against  itself  cannot  stand."  Let  me  say  a  word  in  regard  to 
that  matter. 

He  tries  to  persuade  us  that  there  must  be  a  variety  in  the  different 
institutions  of  the  states  of  the  Union;  that  that  variety  necessarily 
proceeds  from  the  variety  of  soil,  climate,  of  the  face  of  the  country, 
and  the  difference  in  the  natural  features  of  the  states.  I  agree  to  all 
that.  Have  these  very  matters  ever  produced  any  difficulty  amongst 
us?  Not  at  all.  Have  we  ever  had  any  quarrel  over  the  fact  that  they 
have  laws  in  Louisiana  designed  to  regulate  the  commerce  that  springs 
from  the  production  of  sugar?  Or  because  we  have  a  different  class 
relative  to  the  production  of  flour  in  this  state?  Have  they  produced 
any  differences?  Not  at  all.  They  are  the  very  cements  of  this  Union. 
They  don't  make  the  house  a  house  divided  against  itself.  They  are 
the  props  that  hold  up  the  house  and  sustain  the  Union. 

But  has  it  been  so  with  this  element  of  slavery?  Have  we  not  al- 
ways had  quarrels  and  difficulties  over  it?  And  when  will  we  cease  to 
have  quarrels  over  it?  Like  causes  produce  like  effects.  It  is  worth 
while  to  observe  that  we  have  generally  had  comparative  peace  upon 
the  slavery  question,  and  that  there  has  been  no  cause  for  alarm  until 
it  was  excited  by  the  effort  to  spread  it  into  new  territory.  Whenever 
it  has  been  limited  to  its  present  bounds,  and  there  has  been  no  effort 
to  spread  it,  there  has  been  peace.  All  the  trouble  and  convulsion  has 
proceeded  from  efforts  to  spread  it  over  more  territory.  It  was  thus 
at  the  date  of  the  Missouri  Compromise.  It  was  so  again  with  the  an- 
nexation of  Texas;  so  with  the  territory  acquired  by  the  Mexican  war, 
and  it  is  so  now.  Whenever  there  has  been  an  effort  to  spread  it  there 
has  been  agitation  and  resistance.  Now,  I  appeal  to  this  audience 
(very  few  of  whom  are  my  political  friends),  as  national  men,  whether 
we  have  reason  to  expect  that  the  agitation  in  regard  to  this  subject 
will  cease  while  the  causes  that  tend  to  reproduce  agitation  are  actively 
at  work?  Will  not  the  same  cause  that  produced  agitation  in  1820, 
when  the  Missouri  Compromise  was  formed — that  which  produced  the 
agitation  upon  the  annexation  of  Texas,  and  at  other  times — work  out 
the  same  results  always?  Do  you  think  that  the  nature  of  man  will  be 
changed — that  the  same  causes  that  produced  agitation  at  one  time  will 
not  have  the  same  effect  at  another? 

This  has  been  the  result  so  far  as  my  observation  of  the  slavery 
question  and  my  reading  in  history  extends.  What  right  have  we  then 


282  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

to  hope  that  the  trouble  will  cease — that  the  agitation  will  come  to  an 
end — until  it  shall  either  be  placed  back  where  it  originally  stood,  and 
where  the  fathers  originally  placed  it,  or,  on  the  other  hand,  until  it 
shall  entirely  master  all  opposition?  This  is  the  view  I  entertain,  and 
this  is  the  reason  why  I  entertained  it,  as  Judge  Douglas  has  read  from 
my  Springfield  speech. 

Now,  iny  friends,  there  is  one  other  thing  that  I  feel  myself  under 
some  sort  of  obligation  to  mention.  Judge  Douglas  has  here  to-day — in 
a  very  rambling  way,  I  was  about  saying — spoken  of  the  platforms  for 
which  he  seeks  to  hold  me  responsible.  He  says,  "Why  can't  you  come 
out  and  make  an  open  avowal  of  principles  in  all  places  alike?"  and 
he  reads  from  an  advertisement  that  he  says  was  used  to  notify  the 
people  of  a  speech  to  be  made  by  Judge  Trumbull  at  Waterloo.  In 
commenting  on  it  he  desires  to  know  whether  we  cannot  speak  frankly 
and  manfully  as  he  and  his  friends  do !  How,  I  ask,  do  his  friends  speak 
out  their  own  sentiments?  A  convention  of  his  party  in  this  state 
met  on  the  twenty-first  of  April,  at  Springfield,  and  passed  a  set  of 
resolutions  which  they  proclaim  to  the  country  as  their  platform.  This 
does  constitute  their  platform,  and  it  is  because  Judge  Douglas  claims 
it  as  his  platform — that  these  are  his  principles  and  purposes — that  he 
has  a  right  to  declare  he  speaks  his  sentiments  "frankly  and  man- 
fully. ' '  On  the  ninth  of  June,  Colonel  John  Dougherty,  Governor  Rey- 
nolds and  others,  calling  themselves  National  Democrats,  met  in  Spring- 
field and  adopted  a  set  of  resolutions  which  are  as  easily  understood,  as 
plain  and  as  definite  in  stating  to  the  country  and  to  the  world  what 
they  believed  in  and  would  stand  upon,  as  Judge  Douglas's  platform. 
Now,  what  is  the  reason,  that  Judge  Douglas  is  not  willing  that  Colonel 
Dougherty  and  Governor  Reynolds  should  stand  upon  their  own  writ- 
ten and  printed  platform  as  well  as  he  upon  his?  Why  must  he  look 
farther  than  their  platform  when  he  claims  himself  to  stand  by  his 
platform  1 

Again,  in  reference  to  our  platform:  On  the  sixteenth  of  June, 
the  Republicans  had  their  convention  and  published  their  platform, 
which  is  as  clear  and  distinct  as  Judge  Douglas's.  In  it  they  spoke 
their  principles  as  plainly  and  as  definitely  to  the  world.  What  is  the 
reason  that  Judge  Douglas  is  not  willing  I  should  stand  upon  that  plat- 
form? Why  must  he  go  round  hunting  for  some  one  who  is  support- 
ing me,  or  has  supported  me,  at  some  time  in  his  life,  and  who  has  said 
something  at  some  time  contrary  to  that  platform  ?  Does  the  Judge  re- 
gard that  rule  as  a  good  one?  If  it  turn  out  that  that  rule  is  a  good 
one  for  me— that  I  am  responsible  for  any  and  every  opinion  that  any 
man  has  expressed  who  is  my  friend — then  it  is  a  good  rule  for  him.  I 
ask,  is  it  not  as  good  a  rule  for  him  as  it.  is  for  me?  In  my  opinion,  it 
is  not  a  good  rule  for  either  one  of  us.  Do  you  think  differently,  Judge  ? 

Mr.  Douglas— "I  do  not." 

Mr.  Lincoln — Judge  Douglas  says  he  does  not  thing  differently.  I 
am  glad  of  it.  Then  can  he  tell  me  why  he  is  looking  up  resolutions  of 
five  or  six  years  ago,  and  insisting  that  they  were  my  platform,  not- 
withstanding my  protest  that  they  are  not,  and  never  were  my  plat- 
form, and  my.  pointing  out  the  platform  of  the  state  convention  which 
he  delights  to  say  nominated  me  for  the  senate?  I  cannot  see  what  he 
means  by  parading  these  resolutions,  if  it  is  not  to  hold  me  responsible 
for  them  in  some  way.  If  he  says  to  me  here,  that  he  does  not  hold  the 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  283 

rule  to  be  good,  one  way  or  the  other,  I  do  not  comprehend  how  he  could 
answer  me  more  fully  if  he  answered  me  at  greater  length.  I  will 
therefore  put  in  as  my  answer  to  the  resolutions  that  he  has  hunted  up 
against  me,  what  I,  as  a  lawyer  would  call  a  good  plea  to  a  bad  declar- 
ation. I  understand  that  it  is  a  maxim  of  law  that  a  poor  plea  may 
be  a  good  plea  to  a  bad  declaration.  I  think  that  the  opinions  the 
Judge  brings  from  those  who  support  me,  yet  differ  from  me,  is  a  bad 
declaration  against  me ;  but  if  I  can  bring  the  same  things  against  him, 
I  am  putting  in  a  good  plea  to  that  kind  of  declaration,  and  now  I 
propose  to  try  it. 

At  Freeport  Judge  Douglas  occupied  a  large  part  of  his  time  in 
producing  resolutions  and  documents  of  various  sorts,  as  I  understood, 
to  make  me  somehow  responsible  for  them;  and  I  propose  now  doing 
a  little  of  the  same  sort  of  thing  for  him.  In  1850  a  very  clever  gentle- 
man by  the  name  of  Thompson  Campbell,  a  personal  friend  of  Judge 
Douglas  and  myself,  a  political  friend  of  Judge  Douglas  and  opponent 
of  mine,  was  a  candidate  for  congress  in  the  Galena  district.  He  was 
interrogated  as  to  his  views  on  this  same  slavery  question.  I  have  here 
before  me  the  interrogatories  and  Campbell's  answers  to  them.  I  will 
read  them : 

INTERROGATORIES 

1st.  Will  you,  If  elected,  vote  for  and  cordially  support  a  bill  prohibiting 
slavery  in  the  territories  of  the  United  States? 

2d.  Will  you  vote  for  and  support  a  bill  abolishing  slavery  in  the  District 
of  Columbia? 

3d.  Will  you  oppose  the  admission  of  any  slave  states  which  may  be  formed 
out  of  Texas  or  the  territories? 

4th.  Will  you  vote  for  and  advocate  the  repeal  of  the  Fugitive  Slave  law 
passed  at  the  recent  session  of  Congress? 

5th.  Will  you  advocate  and  vote  for  the  election  of  a  speaker  of  the  house 
of  representatives  who  shall  be  willing  to  organize  the  committee  of  that  house 
so  as  to  give  the  free  states  their  just  influence  in  the  business  of  legislation? 

Gth.  What  are  your  views,  not  only  as  to  tfie  constitutional  right  of  con- 
gress to  prohibit  the  slave-trade  between  the  states,  but  also  as  to  the  expediency 
of  exercising  that  right  immediately? 

CAMPBELL'S  REPLY 

To  the  first  and  second  interrogatories,  I  answer  unequivocally  In  the 
affirmative. 

To  the  third  interrogatory  I  reply,  that  I  am  opposed  to  the  admission  of 
any  more  slave  states  into  the  union,  that  may  be  formed  out  of  Texan  or  any 
other  territory. 

To  the  fourth  and  fifth  interrogatories  I  unhesitatingly  answer  in  the 
affirmative. 

To  the  sixth  interrogatory  I  reply,  that  so  long  as  the  slave  states  continue 
to  treat  slaves  as  articles  of  commerce,  the  constitution  confers  power  on  con- 
gress to  pass  laws  regulating  that  peculiar  COMMERCE,  and  that  the  protection 
of  human  rights  imperatively  demands  the  interposition  of  every  constitutional 
means  to  prevent  this  most  inhuman  and  iniquitous  traffic. 

t  T.  CAMPBELL. 

I  want  to  say  here  that  Thompson  Campbell  was  elected  to  congress 
on  that  platform,  as  the  Democratic  candidate  in  the  Galena  district, 
against  Martin  P.  Sweet. 

Judge  Douglas— " Give  me  the  date  of  that  letter." 
Mr.  Lincoln — The   time    Campbell    ran    was    in    1850.     I  have  not 
the  exact  date  here.     It  was  some  time  in  1850  that  these  interroga- 
tories were  put  and  the  answer  given.  Campbell  was  elected  to  con- 


284  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

gress,  and  served  out  his  term.  I  think  a  second  election  came  up  be- 
fore he  served  out  his  term,  and  he  was  not  re-elected.  Whether  de- 
feated or  not  nominated,  I  do  not  know.  [Mr.  Campbell  was  nominated 
for  re-election  by  the  Democratic  party  by  acclamation.]  At  the  end 
of  his  term  his  very  good  friend,  Judge  Douglas,  got  him  a  high  office 
from  President  Pierce,  and  sent  him  off  to  California.  Is  not  that  the 
fact  ?  Just  at  the  end  of  his  term  in  congress  it  appears  that  our  mutual 
friend  Judge  Douglas  got  our  mutual  friend  Campbell  a  good  office, 
and  sent  him  to  California  upon  it.  And  not  only  so,  but  on  the  twenty- 
seventh  of  last  month,  when  Judge  Douglas  and  myself  spoke  at  Free- 
port,  in  joint  discussion,  there  was  his  same  friend  Campbell,  come  all 
the  way  from  California,  to  help  the  Judge  beat  me;  and  there  was 
poor  Martin  P.  Sweet  standing  on  the  platform,  trying  to  help  poor 
me  to  be  elected.  That  is  true  of  one  of  Judge  Douglas 's  friends. 

So  again,  in  that  same  race  of  1850,  there  was  a  congressional  con- 
vention assembled  at  Joliet,  and  it  nominated  R.  S.  Molony  for  con- 
gress and  unanimously  adopted  the  following  resolution: 

Resolved,  That  we  are  uncompromisingly  opposed  to  the  extension  of  slavery ; 
and  while  we  would  not  make  such  opposition  a  ground  of  interference  with  the 
interests  of  the  states  where  it  exists,  yet  we  moderately  but  firmly  insist  that 
it  is  the  duty  of  congress  to  oppose  its  extension  into  territory  now  free,  by  all 
means  compatible  with  the  obligations  of  the  constitution,  and  with  good  faith 
to  our  sister  states;  that  these  principles  were  recognized  by  the  Ordinance  of 
1787,  which  received  the  sanction  of  Thomas  Jefferson,  who  is  acknowledged  by 
all  to  be  the  great  oracle  and  expounder  of  our  faith. 

Subsequently  the  same  interrogatories  were  propounded  to  Dr. 
Molony  which  had  been  addressed  to  Campbell,  as  above,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  the  sixth,  respecting  the  inter-state  slave-trade,  to  which  Dr. 
Molony,  the  Democratic  nominee  for  congress  replied  as  follows: 

I  received  the  written  interrogatories  this  day,  and  as  you  will  see  by  the 
La  Salle  Democrat  and  Ottawa  Free  Trader,  I  took  at  Peru  on  the  5th  and  at 
Ottawa  on  the  7th,  the  affirmative  side  of  interrogatories  1st  and  2d,  and  in  re- 
lation to  the  admission  of  any  more  slave  states  from  free  territory,  my  posi- 
tion taken  at  these  meetings,  as  correctly  reported  in  said  papers,  was  emphat- 
ically and  distinctly  opposed  to  it.  In  relation  to  the  admission  of  any  more 
slave  States  from  Texas,  whether  I  shall  go  against  it  or  not  will  depend  upon 
the  opinion  that  I  may  hereafter  form  of  the  true  meaning  and  nature  of  the 
resolutions  of  annexation.  If,  by  said  resolutions,  the  honor  and  good  faith  of 
the  nation  is  pledged  to  admit  more  slave  states  from  Texas  when  she  (Texas) 
may  apply  for  the  admission  of  such  state,  then  I  should,  if  in  congress,  vote 
for  their  admission.  But  if  not  so  PLEDGED  and  bound  by  sacred  contract,  then  a 
bill  for  the  admission  of  more  slave  states  from  Texas  would  never  receive  my 
vote. 

To  your  fourth  interrogatory  I  answer  most  decidedly  in  the  affirmative, 
and  for  reasons  set  forth  in  my  reported  remarks  at  Ottawa  last  Monday. 

To  your  fifth  interrogatory  I  also  reply  in  the  affirmative  most  cordially, 
and  that  I  will  use  my  utmost  exertions  to  secure  the  nomination  and  election 
of  a  man  who  will  accomplish  the  objects  of  said  interrogatories.  I  most  cor- 
dially approve  of  the  resolutions  adopted  at  the  union  meeting  held  at  Princeton 
on  the  27th  September  ult.  Yours,  etc., 

R.  S.  MOLONY. 

All  I  have  to  say  in  regard  to  Dr.  Molony  is,  that  he  was  the  regu- 
larly nominated  Democratic  candidate  for  congress  in  his  district — was 
elected  at  that  time,  at  the  end  of  his  term  was  appointed  to  a  land- 
office  at  Danville.  (I  never  heard  anything  of  Judge  Douglas's  instru- 
mentality in  this.)  He  held  this  office  a  considerable  time,  and  when 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  285 

we  were  at  Freeport  the  other  day,  there  were  handbills  scattered  about 
notifying  the  public  that  after  our  debate  was  over,  R.  S.  Molony  would 
make  a  Democratic  speech  in  favor  of  Judge  Douglas.  That  is  all  I 
know  of  my  own  personal  knowledge.  It  is  added  here  to  this  resolu- 
tion, and  truly  I  believe,  that — 

"Among  those  who  participated  in  the  Joliet  convention,  and  who 
supported  its  nominee,  with  his  platform  as  laid  down  in  the  resolu- 
tion of  the  convention  and  in  his  reply  as  above  given,  we  call  at  ran- 
dom the  following  names,  all  of  which  are  recognized  at  this  day  as 
leading  Democrats:" 

"Cook  County — E.  B.  Williams,  Charles  McDonell,  Arno  Voss, 
Thomas  Hoyne,  Isaac  Cook." 

I  reckon  we  ought  to  except  Cook. 

"F.  C.  Sherman." 

"Will— Joel  A.  Matteson,  S.  W.  Bowen." 

"Kane— B.  F.  Hall,  G.  W.  Renwick,  A.  M.  Herrington,  Elijah  Wil- 
cox." 

"McHenry— W.  M.  Jackson,  Enos  W.  Smith,  Neil  Donnelly." 
"La  Salle— John  Hise,  William  Reddick." 

William  Reddick!  another  one  of  Judge  Douglas's  friends  that  stood 
on  the  stand  with  him  at  Ottawa,  at  the  time  the  Judge  says  my  knees 
trembled  so  that  I  had  to  be  carried  away.  The  names  are  all  here: 

"DuPage— Nathan  Allen." 

"DeKalb— Z.  B.  Mayo."  . 

Here  is  another  set  of  resolutions  which  I  think  are  apposite  to  the 
matter  in  hand. 

On  the  twenty-eighth  of  February  of  the  same  year,  a  Democratic 
district  convention  was  held  at  Naperville,  to  nominate  a  candidate  for 
circuit  judge.  Among  the  delegates  were  Bowen  and  Kelly,  of  Will; 
Captain  Naper,  H.  H.  Cody,  Nathan  Allen,  of  DuPage;  W.  M.  Jack- 
son, J.  M.  Strode,  P.  W.  Platt  and  Enos  W.  Smith,  of  McHenry;  J. 
Horsman  and  others,  of  Winnebago.  Colonel  Strode  presided  over  the 
convention.  The  following  resolutions  were  unanimously  adopted — 
the  first  on  motion  of  P.  W.  Platt,  the  second  on  motion  of  William  M. 
Jackson : 

Resolved,  That  this  Convention  is  in  favor  of  the  Wilmot  Proviso,  both  in 
principle  and  practice,  and  that  we  know  of  no  good  reason  why  any  person 
should  oppose  the  largest  latitude  in  free  soil,  free  territory  and  free  speech, 

Resolved.  That  in  the  opinion  of  this  convention,  the  time  has  arrived  when 
all  men  should  be  free,  whites  as  well  as  others. 

Judge  Douglas—" What  is  the  date  of  those  resolutions?" 
Mr.  Lincoln — I  understand  it  was  in  1850,  but  I  do  not  know  it.  I 
do  not  state  a  thing  and  say  I  know  it,  when  I  do  not.  But  I  have  the 
highest  belief  that  this  is  so.  I  know  of  no  way  to  arrive  at  the  conclu- 
sion that  there  is  an  error  in  it.  I  mean  to  put  a  case  no  stronger  than 
the  truth  will  allow.  But  what  I  was  going  to  comment  upon  is  an 
extract  from  a  newspaper  in  DeKalb  county,  and  it  strikes  me  as  being 
rather  singular,  I  confess,  under  the  circumstances.  There  is  a  Judge 
Mayo  in  that  county,  who  is  a  candidate  for  the  legislature,  for  the 
purpose,  if  he  secures  his  election,  of  helping  to  re-elect  Judge  Douglas. 
He  is  the  editor  of  a  newspaper  [DeKalb  County  Sentinel],  and  in  that 
paper  I  find  the  extract  I  am  going  to  read.  It  is  part  of  an  editorial 
article  in  which  he  was  electioneering  as  fiercely  as  he  could  for  Judge 


286  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

Douglas  and  against  me.  It  was  a  curious  thing,  I  think,  to  be  in  such 
a  paper.  I  will  agree  to  that,  and  the  Judge  may  make  the  most  of  it: 

"Our  education  has  been  such,  that  we  have  ever  been  rather  in 
favor  of  the  equality  of  the  blacks;  that  is,  that  they  should  enjoy  all 
the  privileges  of  the  whites  where  they  reside.  We  are  aware  that  this 
is  not  a  very  popular  doctrine.  We  have  had  many  a  confab  with  some 
who  are  now  strong  '  Republicans, '  we  taking  the  broad  ground  of  equal- 
ity and  they  the  opposite  ground. 

"We  were  brought  up  in  a  state  where  blacks  were  voters,  and  we 
do  not  know  of  any  inconvenience  resulting  from  it,  though  perhaps  it 
would  not  work  as  well  where  the  blacks  are  more  numerous.  We  have 
no  doubt  of  the  right  of  the  whites  to  guard  against  such  an  evil,  if  it 
is  one.  Our  opinion  is  that  it  would  be  best  for  all  concerned  to  have 
the  colored  population  in  a  state  by  themselves  [in  this  I  agree  with 
him]  ;  but  if  within  the  jurisdiction  of  the  United  States,  we  say  by  all 
means  they  should  have  the  right  to  have  their  senators  and  representa- 
tives in  congress,  and  to  vote  for  President.  With  us  '  worth  makes  the 
man,  and  want  of  it  the  fellow.'  We  have  seen  many  a  'nigger'  that 
we  thought  more  of  than  some  white  men." 

This  is  one  of  Judge  Douglas's  friends.  Now  I  do  not  want  to  leave 
myself  in  an  attitude  where  I  can  be  misrepresented,  so  I  will  say  I  do 
not  think  the  Judge  is  responsible  for  this  article;  but  he  is  quite  as 
responsible  for  it  as  I  would  be  if  one  of  my  friends  had  said  it.  I 
think  that  is  fair  enough. 

I  have  here  also  a  set  of  resolutions  passed  by  a  Democratic  state 
convention  in  Judge  Douglas's  own  good  old  state  of  Vermont,  that  I 
think  ought  to  be  good  for  him  too : 

Resolved,  That  liberty  is  a  right  inherent  and  inalienable  in  man,  and  that 
herein  all  men  are  equal. 

Resolved.  That  we  claim  no  authority  in  the  Federal  Government  to  abolish 
slavery  in  the  several  states,  but  we  do  claim  for  it  constitutional  power  per- 
petually to  prohibit  the  introduction  of  slavery  into  territory  now  free,  and  abolish 
it  wherever,  under  the  jurisdiction  of  congress,  it  exists. 

Resolved.  That  this  power  ought  immediately  to  be  exercised  in  prohibiting 
the  introduction  and  existence  of  slavery  in  New  Mexico  and  California,  in 
abolishing  slavery  and  the  slave-trade  in  the  District  of  Columbia,  on  the  high 
seas,  and  wherever  else,  under  the  constitution,  it  can  be  reached. 

Resolved,  That  no  more  slave  states  should  be  admitted  into  the  Federal 
Union. 

Resolved,  That  the  government  ought  to  return  to  its  ancient  policy,  not  to 
extend,  nationalize  or  encourage,  but  to  limit,  localize  and  discourage  slavery. 

At  Freeport  I  answered  several  interrogatories  that  had  been  pro- 
pounded to  me  by  Judge  Douglas  at  the  Ottawa  meeting.  The  Judge 
has  yet  not  seen  fit  to  find  any  fault  with  the  position  that  I  took  in 
regard  to  those  seven  interrogatories,  which  were  certainly  broad 
enough,  in  all  conscience,  to  cover  the  entire  ground.  In  my  answers, 
which  have  been  printed,  and  all  have  had  the  opportunity  of  seeing, 
I  take  the  ground  that  those  who  elect  me  must  expect  that  I  will  do 
nothing  which  will  not  be  in  accordance  with  those  answers.  I  have 
some  right  to  assert  that  Judge  Douglas  has  no  fault  to  find  with  them. 
But  he  chooses  to  still  try  to  thrust  me  upon  different  ground  without 
paying  any  attention  to  my  answers,  the  obtaining  of  which  from  me 
cost  him  so  much  trouble  and  concern.  At  the  same  time,  I  propounded 
four  interrogatories  to  him,  claiming  it  as  a  right  that  he  should  answer 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  287 

as  many  interrogatories  for  me  as  I  did  for  him,  and  1  would  reserve 
myself  for  a  future  installment  when  I  got  them  ready.  The  Judge  in 
answering  me  upon  that  occasion,  put  in  what  I  suppose  he  intends  as 
answers  to  all  four  of  my  interrogatories.  The  first  one  of  these  inter- 
rogatories I  have  before  me,  and  it  is  in  these  words: 

"Question  1.  If  the  people  of  Kansas  shall,  by  means  entirely  un- 
objectionable in  all  other  respects,  adopt  a  State  Constitution,  and  ask 
admission  into  the  Union  under  it,  before  they  have  the  requisite  num- 
ber of  inhabitants  according  to  the  English  bill — some  ninety-three 
thousand — will  you  vote  to  admit  them?" 

As  I  read  the  Judge's  answer  in  the  newspaper,  and  as  I  remember 
it  as  pronounced  at  the  time,  he  does  not  give  any  answer  which  is 
equivalent  to  yes  or  no — I  will  or  I  wont.  He  answers  at  very  consid- 
erable length,  rather  quarreling  with  me  for  asking  the  question,  and 
insisting  that  Judge  Trumbull  had  done  something  that  I  ought  to  say 
something  about;  and  finally  getting  out  such  statements  as  induce  me 
to  infer  that  he  means  to  be  understood  he  will,  in  that  supposed  case, 
vote  for  the  admission  of  Kansas.  I  only  bring  this  forward  now  for 
the  purpose  of  saying  that  if  he  chooses  to  put  a  different  construction 
upon  his  answer  he  may  do  it.  But  if  he  does  not,  I  shall  from  this 
time  forward  assume  that  he  will  vote  for  the  admission  of  Kansas  in 
disregard  of  the  English  bill.  He  has  the  right  to  remove  any  mis- 
understanding I  may  have.  I  only  mention  it  now  that  I  may  here- 
after assume  this  to  be  the  true  construction  of  his  answer,  if  he  does 
not  now  choose  to  correct  me. 

The  second  interrogatory  that  I  propounded  to  him,  was  this: 

"Question  2.  Can  the  people  of  a  United  States  territory,  in  any 
lawful  way,  against  the  wish  of  any  citizen  of  the  United  States,  ex- 
clude slavery  from  its  limits  prior  to  the  formation  of  a  State  Consti- 
tution?" 

To  this  Judge  Douglas  answered  that  they  can  lawfully  exclude 
slavery  from  the  territory  prior  to  the  formation  of  a  constitution.  He- 
goes  on  to  tell  us  how  it  can  be  done.  As  I  understand  him,  he  holds 
that  it  can  be  done  by  the  territorial  legislature  refusing  to  make  any 
enactments  for  the  protection  of  slavery  in  the  territory  and  especially 
by  adopting  unfriendly  legislation  to  it.  For  the  sake  of  clearness  I 
state  it  again;  that  they  can  exclude  slavery  from  the  territory,  first,  by 
withholding  what  he  assumes  to  be  an  indispensable  assistance  to  it 
in  the  way  of  legislation;  and,  second,  by  unfriendly  legislation.  If 
I  rightly  understand  him,  I  wish  to  ask  your  attention  for  a  while  to 
his  position. 

In  the  first  place,  the  supreme  court  of  the  United  States  has  de- 
cided that  any  congressional  prohibition  of  slavery  in  the  territories 
is  unconstitutional — that  they  have  reached  this  proposition  as  a  con- 
clusion from  their  former  position,  that  the  constitution  of  the  United 
States  expressly  recognizes  property  in  slaves,  and  from  that  other  con- 
stitutional provision,  that  no  person  shall  be  deprived  of  property  with- 
out due  process  of  law.  Hence  they  reach  the  conclusion  that  as  the 
constitution  of  the  United  States  expressly  recogni/es  property  in 
slaves,  and  prohibits  any  person  from  beine  deprived  of  property  with- 
out due  process  of  law,  to  pass  an  act  of  congress  by  which  a  man 
who  owned  a  slave  on  one  side  of  a  line  would  be  deprived  of  him  if 


288  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

he  took  him  on  the  other  side,  is  depriving  him  of  that  property  with- 
out due  process  of  law.  That  I  understand  to  be  the  decision  of  the 
supreme  court.  I  understand  also  that  Judge  Douglas  adheres  most 
firmly  to  that  decision;  and  the  difficulty  is,  how  is  it  possible  for  any 
power  to  exclude  slavery  from  the  territory  unless  in  violation  of  that 
decision?  That  is  the  difficulty.  , 

In  the  senate  of  the  United  States,  in  1850,  Judge  Trumbull,  in  a 
speech,  substantially,  if  not  directly,  put  the  same  interrogatory  to 
Judge  Douglas,  as  to  whether  the  people  of  a  territory  had  the  lawful 
power  to  exclude  slavery  prior  to  the  formation  of  a  constitution? 
Judge  Douglas  then  answered  at  considerable  length  and  his  answer 
will  be  found  in  the  Congressional  Globe,  under  date  of  June  9,  1856. 
The  Judge  said  that  whether  the  people  could  exclude  slavery  prior  to 
the  formation  of  a  constitution  or  not  was  a  question  to  be  decided  by 
the  supreme  court.  He  put  that  proposition,  as  will  be  seen  by  the 
Congressional  Globe,  in  a  variety  of  forms,  all  running  to  the  same 
thing  in  substance — that  it  was  a  question  for  the  supreme  court.  I 
maintain  that  when  he  says,  after  the  supreme  court  have  decided  the 
question,  that  the  people  may  yet  exclude  slavery  by  any  means  what- 
ever, he  does  virtually  say,  that  it  is  not  a  question  for  the  supreme 
court.  He  shifts  his  ground.  I  appeal  to  you  whether  he  did  not  say 
it  was  a  question  for  the  supreme  court?  Has  not  the  supreme  court 
decided  that  question?  When  he  now  says  the  people  may  exclude  sla- 
very, does  he  not  make  it  a  question  for  the  people?  Does  he  not  vir- 
tually shift  his  ground  and  say  that  it  is  not  a  question  for  the  court, 
but  for  the  people?  This  is  a  very  simple  proposition — a  very  plain 
and  naked  one.  It  seems  to  me  that  there  is  no  difficulty  in  deciding  it. 
In  a  variety  of  ways  he  said  that  it  was  a  question  for  the  supreme 
court.  He  did  not  stop  then  to  tell  us  that  whatever  the  supreme  court 
decides,  the  people  can  by  withholding  necessary  "police  regulations" 
keep  slavery  out.  He  did  not  make  any  such  answer.  I  submit  to  you 
now,  whether  the  new  state  of  the  case  has  not  induced  the  Judge  to 
sheer  away  from  his  original  ground.  Would  not  this  be  the  impres- 
sion of  every  fair-minded  man? 

I  hold  that  the  proposition  that  slavery  cannot  enter  a  new  country 
without  police  regulations  is  historically  false.  It  is  not  true  at  all.  I 
hold  that  the  history  of  this  country  shows  that  the  institution  of  sla- 
very was  originally  planted  upon  this  continent  without  these  "police 
regulations"  which  the  Judge  now  thinks  necessary  for  the  actual  estab- 
lishment of  it.  Not  only  so,  but  is  there  not  another  fact — how  came 
this  Dred  Scott  decision  to  be  made?  It  was  made  upon  the  case  of  a 
negro  being  taken  and  actually  held  in  slavery  in  Minnesota  territory, 
claiming  his  freedom  because  the  act  of  congress  prohibited  his  being 
so  held  there.  Will  the  Judge  pretend  that  Dred  Scott  was  not  held 
there  without  police  regulations?  There  is  at  least  one  matter  of  rec- 
ord as  to  his  having  been  held  in  slavery  in  the  territory,  not  only  with- 
out police  regulations,  but  in  the  teeth  of  congressional  legislation  sup- 
posed to  be  valid 'at  the  time.  This  shows  that  there  is  vieror  enough  in 
slavery  to  plant  itself  in  a  new  country  even  against  unfriendly  legis- 
lation. It  takes  not  only  law  but  the  enforcement  of  law  to  keep  it  out. 
That  is  the  history  of  this  country  upon  the  subject. 

I  wish  to  ask  one  other  question.    It  being  understood  that  the  con- 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  289 

stitution  of  the  United  States  guarantees  property  in  slaves  in  the  terri- 
tories, if  there  is  any  infringement  of  the  right  of  that  property,  would 
not  the  United  States  courts,  organized  for  the  government  of"  the  ter- 
ritory, apply  such  remedy  as  might  be  necessary  in  that  case?  It  is  a 
maxim  held  by  the  courts,  that  there  is  no  wrong  without  its  remedy; 
and  the  courts  have  a  remedy  for  whatever  is  acknowledged  and  treated 
as  a  wrong. 

Again :  I  will  ask  you,  my  friends,  if  you  were  elected  members  of 
the  legislature,  what  would  be  the  first  thing  you  would  have  to  do 
before  entering  upon  your  duties?  Swear  to  support  the  constitution 
of  the  United  States.  Suppose  you  believe,  as  Judge  Douglas  does,  that 
the  constitution  of  the  United  States  guarantees  to  your  neighbor  the 
right  to  hold  slaves  in  that  territory — that  they  are  his  property — 
how  can  you  clear  your  oaths  unless  you  give  him  such  legislation  as  is 
necessary  to  enable  him  to  enjoy  that  property?  What  do  you  under- 
stand by  supporting  the  constitution  of  a  state,  or  of  the  United 
States?  Is  it  not  to  give  such  constitutional  helps  to  the  rights  estab- 
lished by  that  constitution  as  may  be  practically  needed.  Can  you,  if 
you  swear  to  support  the  constitution,  and  believe  that  the  constitution 
establishes  a  right,  clear  your  oath,  without  giving  it  support?  Do  you 
support  the  constitution  if,  knowing  or  believing  there  is  a  right  estab- 
lished under  it  which  needs  specific  legislation,  you  withhold  that  leg- 
islation? Do  you  not  violate  and  disregard  your  oath?  I  can  conceive 
of  nothing  plainer  in  the  world.  There  can  be  nothing  in  the  words 
"support  the  constitution,"  if  you  may  run  counter  to  it  by  refusing 
support  to  any  right  established  under  the  constitution.  And  what  I 
say  here  will  hold  with  still  more  force  against  the  Judge's  doctrine  of 
"unfriendly  legislation."  How  could  you,  having  sworn  to  support 
the  constitution,  and  believing  it  guaranteed  the  right  to  hold  slaves  in 
the  territories,  assist  in  legislation  intended  to  defeat  that  right?  That 
would  be  violating  your  own  view  of  the  constitution.  Not  only  so, 
but  if  you  were  to  do  so,  how  long  would  it  take  the  courts  to  hold  your 
votes  unconstitutional  and  void?  Not  a  moment. 

Lastly  I  would  ask — is  not  congress  itself,  under  obligation  to  give 
legislative  support  to  any  right  that  is  established  under  the  United 
States  constitution?  I  repeat  the  question — is  not  congress,  itself, 
bound  to  give  legislative  support  to  any  right  that  is  established  in  the 
United  States  constitution?  A  member  of  congress  swears  to  support 
the  constitution  of  the  United  States,  and  if  he  sees  a  right  established 
by  that  constitution  which  needs  specific  legislative  protection,  can  he 
clear  his  oath  without  giving  that  protection?  Let  me  ask  you  why 
many  of  us  who  are  opposed  to  slavery  upon  principle,  give  our  acqui- 
escence to  a  Fugitive  Slave  law?  Why  do  we  hold  ourselves  under 
obligations  to  pass  such  a  law,  and  abide  by  it  when  it  is  passed?  Be- 
cause the  constitution  makes  provision  that  the  owners  of  slaves  shall 
have  the  right  to  reclaim  them.  It  gives  the  right  to  reclaim  slaves, 
and  that  right  is,  as  Judge  Douglas  says,  a  barren  right,  unless  there 
is  legislation  that  will  enforce  it. 

The  mere  declaration,  "No  person  held  to  service  or  labor  in  one 
state  under  the  laws  thereof,  escaping  into  another,  shall  in  conse- 
quence of  any  law  or  regulation  therein  be  discharged  from  such  service 
or  labor,  but  shall  be  delivered  up  on  claim  of  the  party  to  whom  such. 

Tol.  I— 1» 


290  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

service  or  labor  may  be  due,"  is  powerless  without  specific  legislation 
to  enforce  it.  Now,  on  what  ground  would  a  member  of  congress  who 
is  opposed  to  slavery  in  the  abstract,  vote  for  a  Fugitive  law,  as  I  would 
deem  it  my  duty  to  do?  Because  there  is  a  constitutional  right  which 
needs  legislation  to  enforce  it.  And  although  it  is  distasteful  to  me,  I 
have  sworn  to  support  the  constitution,  and  having  so  sworn,  I  cannot 
conceive  that  I  do  support  it  if  I  withhold  from  that  right  any  neces- 
sary legislation  to  make  it  practical.  And  if  that  is  true  in  regard  to  a 
Fugitive  Slave  law,  is  the  right  to  have  fugitive  slaves  reclaimed  any 
better  fixed  in  the  constitution  than  the  right  to  hold  slaves  in  the  ter- 
ritories? For  this  decision  is  a  just  exposition  of  the  constitution,  as 
Judge  Douglas  thinks.  Is  the  one  right  any  better  than  the  other?  Is 
there  any  man  who,  while  a  member  of  congress,  would  give  support  to 
the  one  any  more  than  the  other?  If  I  wished  to  refuse  to  give  legis- 
lative support  to  slave  property  in  the  territories,  if  a  member  of  con- 
gress, I  could  not  do  it,  holding  the  view  that  the  constitution  establishes 
that  right.  If  I  did  it  at  all,  it  would  be  because  I  deny  that  this  de- 
cision properly  construes  the  constitution.  But  if  I  acknowledge,  with 
Judge  Douglas,  that  this  decision  properly  construes  the  constitution, 
I  cannot  conceive  that  I  would  be  less  than  a  perjured  man  if  I  should 
refuse  in  congress  to  give  such  protection  to  that  property  as  in  its 
nature  it  needed. 

At  the  end  of  what  I  have  said  here  I  propose  to  give  the  Judge  my 
fifth  interrogatory,  which  he  may  take  and  answer  at  his  leisure.  My 
fifth  interrogatory  is  this : 

If  the  slaveholding  citizens  of  a  United  States  territory  should  need 
and  demand  congressional  legislation  for  the  protection  of  their  slave 
property  in  such  territory,  would  you,  as  a  member  of  congress,  vote 
for  or  against  such  legislation? 

Judge  Douglas — "Will  you  repeat  that?  I  want  to  answer  that 
question. ' ' 

Mr.  Lincoln — If  the  slaveholding  citizens  of  a  United  States  terri- 
tory should  need  and  demand  congressional  legislation  for  the  protec- 
tion of  their  slave  property  in  such  territory,  would  you,  as  a  member 
of  congress,  vote  for  or  against  such  legislation? 

I  am  aware  that  in  some  of  the  speeches  Judge  Douglas  has  made, 
he  has  spoken  as  if  he  did  not  know  or  think  that  the  supreme  court 
had  decided  that  a  territorial  legislature  cannot  exclude  slavery.  Pre- 
cisely what  the  Judge  would  say  upon  the  subject — whether  he  would 
say  definitely  that  he  does  not  understand  they  have  so  decided,  or 
whether  he  would  say  he  does  understand  that  the  courts  have  so  de- 
cided, I  do  not  know ;  but  I  know  that  in  his  speech  at  Springfield  he 
spoke  of  it  as  a  thing  they  had  not  decided  yet ;  and  in  his  answer  to 
me  at  Freeport,  he  spoke  of  it  so  far  again,  as  I  can  comprehend  it.  as 
a  thing  that  had  not  yet  been  decided.  Now  I  hold  that  if  the  Judge 
does  entertain  that  view,  I  think  that  he  is  not  mistaken  in  so  far  as  it 
can  be  said  that  the  court  has  not  decided  anything  save  the  mere 
question  of  jurisdiction.  I  know  the  legal  arguments  that  can  be  made 
— that  after  a  court  has  decided  that  it  cannot  take  jurisdiction  in  a 
case,  it  then  has  decided  all  that  is  before  it,  and  that  is  the  end  of  it. 
A  plausible  argument  can  be  made  in  favor  of  that  proposition,  but  I 
know  that  Judge  Douglas  has  said  in  one  of  his  speeches  that  the  court 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  291 

went  forward,  like  honest  men  as  they  were,  and  decided  all  the  points 
in  the  case.  If  any  points  are  really  extra-judicially  decided  because 
not  necessarily  before  them,  then  this  one  as  to  the  power  of  the  territo- 
rial legislature  to  exclude  slavery  is  one  of  them,  as  also  the  one  that 
the  Missouri  Compromise  was  null  and  void.  They  are  both  extra-judi- 
cial, or  neither  is,  according  as  the  court  held  that  they  had  no  juris- 
diction in  the  case  between  the  parties,  because  of  want  of  capacity  of 
one  party  to  maintain  a  suit  in  that  court.  I  want,  if  I  have  sufficient 
time,  to  show  that  the  court  did  pass  its  opinion,  but  that  is  the  only 
thing  actually  done  in  the  case.  If  they  did  not  decide,  they  showed 
what  they  were  ready  to  decide  whenever  the  matter  was  before  them. 
What  is  that  opinion  ?  After  having  argued  that  congress  had  no  power 
to  pass  a  law  excluding  slavery  from  a  United  States  territory,  they 
then  used  language  to  this  effect:  That  inasmuch  as  congress  itself 
could  not  exercise  such  a  power,  it  followed  as  a  matter  of  course  that 
it  could  not  authorize  a  territorial  government  to  exercise  it,  for  the 
territorial  legislature  can  do  no  more  than  congress  could  do.  Thus  it 
expressed  its  opinion  emphatically  against  the  power  of  a  territorial 
legislature  to  exclude  slavery,  leaving  us  in  just  as  little  doubt  on  that 
point  as  upon  any  other  point  they  really  decided. 

Now,  my  fellow-citizens,  I  will  detain  you  only  a  little  while  longer. 
My  time  is  nearly  out.  I  find  a  report  of  a  speech  made  by  Judge  Doug- 
las at  Joliet,  since  we  last  met  at  Freeport — published,  I  believe,  in 
the  Missouri  Republican — on  the  9th  of  this  month  in  which  Judge 
Douglas  says: 

"You  know  at  Ottawa,  I  read  this  platform,  and  asked  him  if  he 
concurred  in  each  and  all  of  the  principles  set  forth  in  it.  He  would 
not  answer  these  questions.  At  last  I  said  frankly,  I  wish  you  to  an- 
swer them,  because  when  I  get  them  up  here  where  the  color  of  your 
principles  are  a  little  darker  than  in  Egypt,  I  intend  to  trot  you  down 
to  Jonesboro.  The  very  notice  that  I  was  going  to  take  him  down  to 
Egypt  made  him  tremble  in  the  knees  so  that  he  had  to  be  carried  from 
the  platform.  He  laid  up  seven  days,  and  in  the  meantime  held  a  con- 
sultation with  his  political  physicians;  they  had  Lovejoy  and  Farns- 
worth  and  all  the  leaders  of  the  Abolition  party  they  consulted  it  all 
over,  and  at  last  Lincoln  came  to  the  conclusion  that  he  would  answer, 
so  he  came  up  to  Freeport  last  Friday." 

Now  that  statement  altogether  furnishes  a  subject  for  philosophical 
contemplation.  I  have  been  treating  it  in  that  way,  and  I  have  really 
come  to  the  conclusion  that  I  can  explain  it  in  no  other  way  than  by 
believing  the  Judge  is  crazy.  If  he  was  in  his  right  mind,  I  cannot 
conceive  how  he  would  have  risked  disgusting  the  four  or  five  thousand 
of  his  own  friends  who  stood  there,  and  knew,  as  to  my  having  been 
carried  from  the  platform,  that  there  was  not  a  word  of  truth  in  it. 

Judge  Douglas — "Didn't  they  carry  you  off?" 

Mr.  Lincoln — There ;  that  question  illustrates  the  character  of  this 
man  Douglas,  exactly.  He  smiles  now  and  says,  "Didn't  they  carry 
you  off?"  But  he  said  then,  "he  had  to  be  carried  off;"  and  he  said 
it  to  convince  the  country  that  he  had  so  completely  broken  me  down 
by  his  speech  that  I  had  to  be  carried  away.  Now  he  seeks  to  dodge  it, 
and  asks.  "Didn't  they  carry  you  off?"  Yes.  they  did.  But,  Judge 
Douglas,  why  didn't  you  tell  the  truth?  I  would  like  to  know  why 


292  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

you  didn't  tell  the  truth  about  it.  And  then  again,  "He  laid  up  seven 
days."  He  puts  this  in  print  for  the  people  of  the  country  to  read  as  a 
serious  document.  I  think  if  he  had  been  in  his  sober  senses  he  would 
not  have  risked  that  barefacedness  in  the  presence  of  thousands  of  his 
own  friends,  who  knew  that  I  made  speeches  within  six  of  the  seven 
days  at  Henry,  Marshall  county;  Augusta,  Hancock  county,  and  Ma- 
comb,  McDonough  county,  including  all  the  necessary  travel  to  meet 
him  again  at  Freeport  at  the  end  of  the  six  days.  Now,  I  say,  there  is 
no  charitable  way  to  look  at  that  statement,  except  to  conclude  that  he 
is  actually  crazy.  There  is  another  thing  in  that  statement  that 
alarmed  me  very  greatly  as  he  states  it,  that  he  was  going  to  "trot  me 
down  to  Egypt."  Thereby  he  would  have  you  to  infer  that  I  would 
not  come  to  Egypt  unless  he  forced  me — that  I  could  not  be  got  here, 
unless  he,  giant-like,  had  hauled  me  down  here.  That  statement  he 
makes,  too,  in  the  teeth  of  the  knowledge  that  I  had  made  the  stipulation 
to  come  down  here,  and  that  he  himself  had  been  very  reluctant  to 
enter  into  the  stipulation.  More  than  all  this,  Judge  Douglas,  when 
he  made  that  statement,  must  have  been  crazy,  and  wholly  out  of  his 
sober  senses,  or  else  he  would  have  known  that  when  he  got  me  down 
here — that  promise — that  windy  promise — of  his  powers  to  annihilate 
me,  wouldn't  amount  to  anything.  Now,  how  little  do  I  look  like  being 
carried  away  trembling?  Let  the  Judge  go  on,  and  after  he  is  done 
with  his  half  hour,  I  want  you  all,  if  I  can 't  go  home  myself,  to  let  me 
stay  and  rot  here ;  and  if  anything  happens  to  the  Judge,  if  I  cannot 
carry  him  to  the  hotel  and  put  him  to  bed,  let  me  stay  here  and  rot.  I 
say,  then,  there  is  something  extraordinary  in  this  statement.  I  ask  you 
if  you  know  any  other  living  man  who  would  make  such  a  statement? 
I  will  ask  my  friend  Casey,  over  there,  if  he  would  do  such  a  thing? 
Would  he  send  that  out  and  have  his  men  take  it  as  the  truth  ?  Did  the 
Judge  talk  of  trotting  me  down  to  Egypt  to  scare  me  to  death  ?  Why,  I 
know  this  people  better  than  he  does.  I  was  raised  just  a  little  east  of 
here.  I  am  a  part  of  this  people.  But  the  Judge  was  raised  further 
north,  and  perhaps  he  has  some  horrid  idea  of  what  this  people  might 
be  induced  to  do.  But  really  I  have  talked  about  this  matter  perhaps 
longer  than  I  ought,  for  it  is  no  great  thing,  and  yet  the  smallest  are 
often  the  most  difficult  things  to  deal  with.  The  Judge  has  set  about 
seriously  trying  to  make  the  impression  that  when  we  meet  at  different 
places  I  am  literally  in  his  clutches — that  I  am  a  poor,  helpless,  de- 
crepit mouse,  and  that  I  can  do  nothing  at  all.  This  is  one  of  the  ways 
he  has  taken  to  create  that  impression.  I  don't  know  any  other  way 
to  meet  it,  except  this.  I  don't  want  to  quarrel  with  him — to  call  him 
a  liar — but  when  I  come  square  up  to  him  I  don't  know  n'hat  else  to 
call  him  if  I  must  tell  the  truth  out.  I  want  to  be  at  peace,  and  reserve 
all  my  fighting  powers  for  necessary  occasions.  My  time,  now,  is  very 
nearly  out,  and  I  give  up  the  trifle  that  is  left  to  the  Judge,  to  let  him 
set  my  knees  trembling  again,  if  he  can. 

ME.  DOUGLAS'S  REPLY 

My  friends,  while  I  am  very  grateful  to  you  for  the  enthusiasm 
which  you  show  for  me,  I  will  say  in  all  candor,  that  your  quietness 
will  tie  much  more  agreeable  than  your  applause,  inasmuch  as  you  de- 
prive me  of  some  part  of  my  time  whenever  you  cheer. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  293 

I  will  commence  where  Mr.  Lincoln  left  off,  and  make  a  remark 
upon  this  serious  complaint  of  his  about  my  speech  at  Joliet.  I  did 
say  there  in  a  playful  manner  that  when  I  put  these  questions  to  Mr. 
Lincoln  at  Ottawa  he  failed  to  answer  and  that  he  trembled  and  had 
to  be  carried  off  the  stand,  and  required  seven  days  to  get  up  his  reply. 
That  he  did  not  walk  off  from  the  stand  he  will  not  deny.  That  when 
the  crowd  went  away  from  the  stand  with  me,  a  few  persons  carried 
him  home  on  their  shoulders  and  laid  him  down,  he  will  admit.  I  wish 
to  say  to  you  that  whenever  I  degrade  my  friends  and  myself  by  allow- 
ing them  to  carry  me  on  their  backs  along  through  the  public  streets, 
when  I  am  able  to  walk,  I  a.m  willing  to  be  deemed  crazy.  I  did  not 
say  whether  I  beat  him  or  he  beat  me  in  the  argument.  It  is  true  I 
put  these  questions  to  him,  and  I  put  them  not  as  mere  idle  questions, 
but  showed  that  I  based  them  upon  the  creed  of  the  Black  Republican 
party  as  declared  by  their  conventions  in  that  portion  of  the  state 
which  he  depends  upon  to  elect  him,  and  desired  to  know  whether  he 
indorsed  that  creed.  He  would  not  answer.  When  I  reminded  him 
that  I  intended  bringing  him  into  Egypt  and  renewing  my  questions  if 
he  refused  to  answer,  he  then  consulted  and  did  get  up  his  answers 
one  week  after, — answers  which  I  may  refer  to  in  a  few  minutes  and 
show  you  how  equivocal  they  are.  My  object  was  to  make  him  avow 
whether  or  not  he  stood  by  the  platform  of  his  party ;  the  resolutions 
I  then  read,  and  upon  which  I  based  my  questions,  had  been  adopted 
by  his  party  in  the  Galena  congressional  district,  and  the  Chicago  and 
Bloomington  congressional  districts,  composing  a  large  majority  of  the 
counties  in  this  state  that  give  Republican  or  Abolition  majorities.  Mr. 
Lincoln  cannot  and  will  not  deny  that  the  doctrines  laid  down  in  these 
resolutions  were  in  substance  put  forth  in  Lovejoy's  resolutions,  which 
were  voted  for  by  a  majority  of  his  party,  some  of  them,  if  not  all, 
receiving  the  support  of  every  man  of  his  party.  Hence,  I  laid  a 
foundation  for  my  questions  to  him  before  I  asked  him  whether  that 
was  or  was  not  the  platform  of  his  party.  He  says  that  he  answered 
my  questions.  One  of  them  was  whether  he  would  vote  to  admit  any 
more  slave  states  into  the  Union.  The  creed  of  the  Republican  party 
as  set  forth  in  the  resolutions  of  their  various  conventions  was,  that 
they  would  under  no  circumstances  vote  to  admit  another  slave  state. 
It  was  put  forth  in  the  Lovejoy  resolutions  in  the  legislature;  it  was 
put  forth  and  passed  in  a  majority  of  all  the  counties  of  this  state 
which  gave  Abolition  or  Republican  majorities,  or  elect  members  to  the 
legislature  of  that  school  of  politics.  I  had  a  right  to  know  whether 
he  would  vote  for  or  against  the  admission  of  another  slave  state  in  the 
event  the  people  wanted  it.  He  first  answered  that  he  was  not  pledged 
on  the  subject,  and  then  said,  "In  regard  to  the  other  question,  of 
whether  I  am  pledged  to  the  admission  of  any  more  slave  states  into 
the  Union,  I  state  to  you  very  frankly  that  I  would  be  exceedingly  sorry 
ever  to  be  put  in  the  position  of  having  to  pass  on  that  question.  I 
should  be  exceedingly  glad  to  know  that  there  would  never  be  another 
slave  state  admitted  into  the  Union ;  but  I  must  add  that  if  slavery  shall 
be  kept  out  of  the  territories  during  the  territorial  existence  of  any 
one  given  territory,  and  then  the  people,  having  a  fair  chance  and  clean 
field  when  they  come  to  adopt  a  constitution,  do  such  an  extraordinary 
thing  as  adopt  a  slave  constitution,  uninfluenced  by  the  actual  presence 
of  the  institution  among  them,  I  see  no  alternative,  if  we  own  the 
country,  but  to  admit  them  into  the  Union." 


294  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

Now  analyze  that  answer.  In  the  first  place  he  says  he  would  be 
exceedingly  sorry  to  be  put  in  a  position  where  he  would  have  to  vote 
on  the  question  of  the  admission  of  a  slave  state.  Why  is  he  a  candi- 
date for  the  senate  if  he  would  be  sorry  to  be  put  in  that  position?  I 
trust  the  people  of  Illinois  will  not  put  him  in  a  position  which  he 
would  be  so  sorry  to  occupy.  The  next  position  he  takes  is  that  he 
would  be  glad  to  know  that  there  would  never  be  another  slave  state, 
yet,  in  certain  contingencies,  he  might  have  to  vote  for  one.  What  is 
that  contingency ?  "If  congress  keeps  slavery  out  by  law  while  it  is  a 
territory,  and  then  the  people  should  have  a  fair  chance  and  should 
adopt  slavery,  uninfluenced  by  the  presence  of  the  institution,"  he 
supposed  he  would  have  to  admit  the  state.  Suppose  congress  should 
not  keep  slavery  out  during  their  territorial  existence,  then  how  would 
he  vote  when  the  people  applied  for  admission  into  the  Union  with  a 
slave  constitution?  That  he  does  not  answer,  and  that  is  the  condition 
of  every  territory  we  have  now  got.  Slavery  is  not  kept  out  of  Kansas 
by  act  of  congress,  and  when  I  put  the  question  to  Mr.  Lincoln,  whether 
he  will  vote  for  the  admission  with  or  without  slavery,  as  her  people 
may  desire,  he  will  not  answer,  and  you  have  not  got  an  answer  from 
him.  In  Nebraska  slavery  is  not  prohibited  by  act  of  congress,  but  the 
people  are  allowed,  under  the  Nebraska  bill,  to  do  as  they  please  on  the 
subject;  and  when  I  ask  him  whether  he  will  vote  to  admit  Nebraska 
with  a  slave  constitution  if  her  people  desire  it,  he  will  not  answer. 
So  with  New  Mexico,  Washington  territory,  Arizona,  and  the  four  new 
states  to  be  admitted  from  Texas.  You  cannot  get  an  answer  from  him 
to  these  questions.  His  answer  only  applies  to  a  given  case,  to  a  con- 
dition— things  which  he  knows  do  not  exist  in  any  one  territory  in 
the  Union.  He  tries  to  give  you  to  understand  that  he  would  allow  the 
people  to  do  as  they  please,  and  yet  he  dodges  the  question  as  to  every 
territory  in  the  Union.  I  now  ask  why  cannot  Mr.  Lincoln  answer  to 
each  of  these  territories?  He  has  not  done  it,  and  he  will  not  do  it. 
The  Abolitionists  up  north  understand  that  this  answer  is  made  with 
a  view  of  not  committing  himself  on  any  one  territory  now  in  existence. 
It  is  so  understood  there,  and  you  cannot  expect  an  answer  from  him 
on  a  case  that  applies  to  any  one  territory,  or  applies  to  the  new  states 
which  by  compact  we  are  pledged  to  admit  out  of  Texas,  when  they 
have  the  requisite  population  and  desire  admission.  I  submit  to  you 
whether  he  has  made  a  frank  answer,  so  that  you  can  tell  how  he  would 
vote  in  any  one  of  these  cases.  "He  would  be  sorry  to  be  put  in  the 
position."  Why  would  he  be  sorry  to  be  put  in  this  position  if  his  duty 
required  him  to  give  the  vote?  If  the  people  of  a  territory  ought  to  be 
permitted  to  come  into  the  Union  as  a  state,  with  slavery  or  without 
it,  as  they  pleased,  why  not  give  the  vote  admitting  them  cheerfully? 
If  in  his  opinion  they  ought  not  to  come  in  with  slavery,  even  if  they 
wanted  to,  why  not  say  that  he  would  cheerfully  vote  against  their 
admission?  His  intimation  is  that  conscience  would  not  let  him  vote 
"No,"  and  he  would  be  sorry  to  do  that  which  his  conscience  would 
compel  him  to  do  as  an  honest  man. 

In  regard  to  the  contract  or  bargain  between  Trumbull,  the  Aboli- 
tionists and  him,  which  he  denies,  I  wish  to  say  that  the  charge  can  be 
proved  by  notorious  historical  facts.  Trumbull,  Lovejoy,  Giddings,  Fred 
Douglass,  Hale,  and  Banks,  were  traveling  the  state  at  that  time  mak- 
ing speeches  on  the  same  side  and  in  the  same  cause  with  him.  He 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  295 

contents  himself  with  the  simple  denial  that  no  such  thing  occurred. 
Does  he  deny  that  he,  and  Trumbull,  and  Breese,  and  Giddings,  and 
Chase,  and  Fred  Douglass,  and  Lovejoy,  and  all  those  Abolitionists  and 
deserters  from  the  Democratic  party,  did  make  speeches  all  over  this 
state  in  the  same  common  cause?  Does  he  deny  that  Jim  Matheny 
was  then,  and  is  now,  his  confidential  friend,  and  does  he  deny  that 
Matheny  made  the  charge  of  the  bargain  and  fraud  in  his  own  language, 
as  I  have  read  it  from  his  printed  speech.  Matheny  spoke  of  his  own 
personal  knowledge  of  that  bargain  existing  between  Lincoln,  Trumbull, 
and  the  Abolitionists.  He  still  remains  Lincoln's  confidential  friend, 
and  is  now  a  candidate  for  congress,  and  is  canvassing  the  Springfield 
district  for  Lincoln.  I  assert  that  I  can  prove  the  charge  to  be  true  in 
detail  if  I  can  ever  get  it  where  I  can  summon  and  compel  the  attendance 
of  witnesses.  I  have  the  statement  of  another  man  to  the  same  effect 
as  that  made  by  Matheny,  which  I  am  not  permitted  to  use  yet,  but  Jim 
Matheny  is  a  good  witness  on  that  point,  and  the  history  of  the  country 
is  conclusive  upon  it.  That  Lincoln  up  to  that  time  had  been  a  Whig, 
and  then  undertook  to  abolitionize  the  Whigs  and  bring  them  into  the 
Abolition  camp,  is  beyond  denial ;  that  Trumbull  up  to  that  time  had 
been  a  Democrat,  and  deserted,  and  undertook  to  abolitionize  the 
Democracy,  and  take  them  into  the  Abolition  camp,  is  beyond  denial; 
that  they  are  both  now  active,  leading,  distinguished  members  of  this 
Abolition  Republican  party,  in  full  communion,  is  a  fact  that  cannot 
be  questioned  or  denied. 

But  Lincoln  is  not  willing  to  be  responsible  for  the  creed  of  his 
party.  He  complains  because  I  hold  him  responsible,  and  in  order 
to  avoid  the  issue,  he  attempts  to  show  that  individuals  in  the  Dem- 
ocratic party,  many  years  ago,  expressed  Abolition  sentiments.  It  is 
true  that  Tom  Campbell,  when  a  candidate  for  congress  in  1850, 
published  the  letter  which  Lincoln  read.  When  I  asked  Lincoln  for 
the  date  of  that  letter  he  could  not  give  it.  The  date  of  the  letter  has 
been  suppressed  by  other  speakers  who  have  used  it,  though  I  take 
it  for  granted  that  Lincoln  did  not  know  the  date.  If  he  will  take 
the  trouble  to  examine,  he  will  find  that  the  letter  was  published 
only  two  days  before  the  election,  and  was  never  seen  until  after  it, 
except  in  one  county.  Tom  Campbell  would  have  been  beat  to  death 
by  the  Democratic  party  if  that  letter  had  been  made  public  in  his 
district.  As  to  Molony,  it  is  true  he  uttered  sentiments  of  the  kind 
referred  to  by  Mr.  Lincoln,  and  the  best  Democrats  would  not  vote 
for  him  for  that  reason.  I  returned  from  Washington  after  the  pas- 
sage of  the  compromise  measures  in  1850,  and  when  I  found  Mo- 
lony running  under  John  Wentworth's  tutelage,  and  on  his  platform, 
I  denounced  him,  and  declared  that  he  was  no  Democrat.  In  my 
speech  at  Chicago,  just  before  the  election  that  year,  I  went  before 
the  infuriated  people  of  that  city  and  vindicated  the  compromise 
measures  of  1850.  Remember  the  city  council  had  passed  resolutions 
nullifying  acts  of  congress  and  instructing  the  police  to  withold  their  as- 
sistance from  the  execution  of  the  laws,  and  as  I  was  the  only  man  in  the 
city  of  Chicago  who  was  responsible  for  the  passage  of  the  compromise 
measures,  I  went  before  the  crowd,  justified  each  and  every  one  of 
those  measures,  and  let  it  be  said  to  the  eternal  honor  of  the  people 
of  Chicago,  that  when  they  were  convinced  by  my  exposition  of 
those  measures  that  they  were  right  and  they  had  done  wrong  in 


296  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

opposing  them,  they  repealed  their  nullifying  resolutions  and  de- 
clared that  they  would  acquiesce  in  and  support  the  laws  of  the  land. 
These  facts  are  well  known,  and  Mr.  Lincoln  can  only  get  up  indi- 
vidual instances,  dating  back  to  1849- '50,  which  are  contradicted 
by  the  whole  tenor  of  the  Democratic  creed. 

But  Mr.  Lincoln  does  not  want  to  be  held  responsible  for  the 
Black  Republican  doctrine  of  no  more  slave  states.  Farnsworth  is 
the  candidate  of  his  party  to-day  in  the  Chicago  district,  and  he  made 
a  speech  in  the  last  congress  in  which  he  called  upon  God  to  palsy 
his  right  arm  if  he  ever  voted  for  the  admission  of  another  slave 
state,  whether  the  people  wanted  it  or  not.  Lovejoy  is  making 
speeches  all  over  the  state  for  Lincoln  now,  and  taking  ground 
against  any  more  slave  states.  Washburne,  the  Black  Republican 
candidate  for  congress  in  the  Galena  district,  is  making  speeches  in 
favor  of  this  same  Abolition  platform  declaring  no  more  slave  states. 
Why  are  men  running  for  congress  in  the  northern  districts,  and 
taking  that  Abolition  platform  for  their  guide,  when  Mr.  Lincoln 
does  not  want  to  be  held  to  it  down  here  in  Egypt  and  in  the  center 
of  the  state,  and  objects  to  it  so  as  to  get  votes  here.  Let  me  tell 
Mr.  Lincoln  that  his  party  in  the  northern  part  of  the  state  hold  to 
that  Abolition  platform,  and  that  if  they  do  not  in  the  south  and  in 
the  center  they  present  the  extraordinary  spectacle  of  a  "house  di- 
vided against  itself,"  and  hence  "cannot  stand."  I  now  bring  down 
upon  him  the  vengeance  of  his  own  scriptural  quotation,  and  give 
it  a  more  appropriate  application  than  he  did,  when  I  say  to  him 
that  his  party,  Abolition  in  one  end  of  the  state  and  opposed  to  it  in 
the  other,  is  a  house  divided  against  itself,  and  cannot  stand,  and 
ought  not  to  stand,  for  it  attempts  to  cheat  the  American  people  out 
of  their  votes  by  disguising  its  sentiments. 

Mr.  Lincoln  attempts  to  cover  up  and  get  over  his  Abolitionism 
by  telling  you  that  he  was  raised  a  little  east  of  you,  beyond  the 
Wabash  in  Indiana,  and  he  thinks  that  makes  a  mighty  sound  and 
good  man  of  him  on  all  these  questions.  I  do  not  know  that  the 
place  where  a  man  is  born  or  raised  has  much  to  do  with  his  political 
principles.  The  worst  Abolitionist  I  have  ever  known  in  Illinois  have 
been  men  who  have  sold  their  slaves  in  Alabama  and  Kentucky,  and 
have  come  here  and  turned  Abolitionists  whilst  spending  the  money 
got  for  the  negroes  they  sold,  and  I  do  not  know  that  an  Abolition- 
ist from  Indiana  or  Kentucky  ought  to  have  any  more  credit  because 
he  was  born  and  raised  among  slaveholders.  I  do  not  know  that  a 
native  of  Kentucky  is  more  excusable  because  raised  among  slaves, 
his  father  and  mother  having  owned  slaves,  he  comes  to  Illinois,  turns 
Abolitionist,  and  slanders  the  graves  of  his  father  and  mother,  and 
breathes  curses  upon  the  institutions  under  which  he  was  born,  and 
his  father  and  mother  bred.  True,  I  was  not  born  out  west  here.  I 
was  born  away  down  in  Yankee  land,  I  was  born  in  a  valley  in  Ver- 
mont, with  the  high  mountains  around  me.  I  love  the  old  green 
mountains  and  valleys  of  Vermont,  where  I  was  born,  and  where  I 
played  in  my  childhood.  I  went  up  to  visit  them  some  seven  or  eight 
years  ago,  for  the  first  time  for  twenty  odd  years.  When  I  got  there 
they  treated  me  very  kindly.  They  invited  me  to  the  commence- 
ment of  their  college,  placed  me  on  the  seats  with  their  distinguished 
guests,  and  conferred  upon  me  the  degree  of  LL.  D.  in  Latin  (doctor 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  297 

of  laws),  the  same  as  they  did  old  Hickory,  at  Cambridge,  many 
years  ago,  and  I  give  you  my  word  and  honor  I  understood  just  as 
much  of  the  Latin  as  he  did.  When  they  got  through  conferring 
the  honorary  degree,  they  called  upon  me  for  a  speech,  and  I  got  up 
with  my  heart  full  and  swelling  with  gratitude  for  their  kindness, 
and  I  said  to  them,  "My  friends,  Vermont  is  the  most  glorious  spot 
on  the  face  of  this  globe  for  a  man  to  be  born  in,  provided  he  emi- 
grates when  he  is  very  young." 

I  emigrated  when  I  was  very  young.  I  came  out  here  when  I 
was  a  boy,  and  I  found  my  mind  liberalized,  and  my  opinions  en- 
larged when  I  got  on  these  broad  prairies,  with  only  the  heavens  to 
bound  my  vision,  instead  of  having  them  circumscribed  by  the  little 
narrow  ridges  that  surrounded  the  valley  where  I  was  born.  But, 
I  discard  all  flings  of  the  land  where  a  man  was  born.  I  wish  to  be 
judged  by  my  principles,  by  those  great  public  measures  and  con- 
stitutional principles  upon  which  the  peace,  the  happiness  and  the 
perpetuity  of  this  republic  now  rest. 

Mr.  Lincoln  has  framed  another  question,  propounded  it  to  me^ 
and  desired  my  answer.  As  I  have  said  before,  I  did  not  put  a 
question  to  him  that  I  did  not  first  lay  a  foundation  for  by  showing 
that  it  was  a  part  of  the  platform  of  the  party  whose  votes  he  is  now 
seeking,  adopted  in  a  majority  of  the  counties  where  he  now  hopes 
to  get  a  majority,  and  supported  by  the  candidates  of  his  party  now 
running  in  those  counties.  But  I  will  answer  his  question.  It  is  as 
follows:  "If  the  slaveholding  citizen  of  a  United  States  territory 
should  need  and  demand  congressional  legislation  for  the  protection 
of  their  slave  property  in  such  territory,  would  you,  as  a  member  of 
congress,  vote  for  or  against  such  legislation?"  I  answer  him  that  it 
is  a  fundamental  article  in  the  Democratic  creed  that  there  should  be 
•  non-interference  and  non-intervention  by  congress  with  slavery  in  the 
states  or  territories.  Mr.  Lincoln  could  have  found  an  answer  to  his 
question  in  the  Cincinnati  platform,  if  he  had  desired  it.  The  Demo- 
cratic party  have  always  stood  by  that  great  principle  of  non-interfer- 
ence and  non-intervention  by  congress  with  slavery  in  the  states  ana 
territories  alike,  and  I  stand  on  that  platform  now. 

Now  I  desire  to  call  your  attention  to  the  fact  that  Lincoln  did  not 
define  his  own  position  in  his  own  question.  How  does  he  stand  on  that 
question?  He  put  the  question  to  me  at  Freeport  whether  or  not  I 
would  vote  to  admit  Kansas  into  the  Union  before  she  had  93,420  in- 
habitants. I  answered  him  at  once  that  it  having  been  decided  that 
Kansas  had  now  population  enough  for  a  slave  state,  she  had  popula- 
tion enough  for  a  free  state. 

I  answered  the  question  unequivocally,  and  then  I  asked  him  whether 
he  would  vote  for  or  against  the  admission  of  Kansas  before  she  had 
93.420  inhabitants,  and  he  would  not  answer  me.  To-day  he  has  called 
attention  to  the  fact  that,  in  his  opinion,  my  answer  on  that  question 
was  not  quite  plain  enough,  and  yet  he  has  not  answered  it  himself.  He 
now  puts  a  question  in  relation  to  congressional  interference  in  the  ter- 
ritories to  me.  I  answer  him  direct,  and  yet  he  has  not  answered  the 
question  himself.  I  ask  you  whether  a  man  has  any  right,  in  common 
decency,  to  put  questions  in  these  public  discussions,  to  his  opponent, 
which  he  will  not  answer  himself,  when  they  are  pressed  home  to  him. 
I  have  asked  him  three  times,  whether  he  would  vote  to  admit  Kansas 


298  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHEEN  ILLINOIS 

whenever  the  people  applied  with  a  constitution  of  their  own  making 
and  their  own  adoption,  under  circumstances  that  were  fair,  just  and 
unexceptional,  but  I  cannot  get  an  answer  from  him.  Nor  will  he  an- 
swer the  question  which  he  put  to  me,  and  which  I  have  just  answered 
in  relation  to  congressional  interference  in  the  territories,  by  making 
a  slave  code  there. 

It  is  true  that  he  goes  on  to  answer  the  question  by  arguing  that 
under  the  decision  of  the  supreme  court  it  is  the  duty  of  a  man  to  vote 
for  a  slave  code  in  the  territories.  He  says  that  it  is  his  duty,  under 
the  decision  that  the  court  has  made,  and  if  he  believes  in  that  deci- 
sion he  would  be  a  perjured  man  if  he  did  not  give  the  vote.  I  want  to 
know  whether  he  is  not  bound  to  a  decision  which  is  contrary  to  his 
opinions  just  as  much  as  to  one  in  accordance  with  his  opinions.  If  the 
decision  of  the  supreme  court,  the  tribunal  created  by  the  constitu- 
tion to  decide  the  question,  is  final  and  binding,  is  he  not  bound  by  it 
just  as  strongly  as  if  he  was  for  it  instead  of  against  it  originally? 
Is  every  man  in  this  land  allowed  to  resist  decisions  he  does  not  like, 
and  only  support  those  that  meet  his  approval?  What  are  important 
courts  worth  unless  their  decisions  are  binding  on  all  good  citizens? 
It  is  the  fundamental  principles  of  the  judiciary  that  its  decisions  are 
final.  It  is  created  for  that  purpose,  so  that  when  you  cannot  agree 
among  yourselves  on  a  disputed  point  you  appeal  to  the  judicial  tri- 
bunal which  steps  in  and  decides  for  you,  and  that  decision  is  then 
binding  on  every  good  citizen.  It  is  the  law  of  the  land  just  as  much 
with  Mr.  Lincoln  against  it  as  for  it.  And  yet  he  says  that  if  that  de- 
cision is  binding  he  is  a  perjured  man  if  he  does  not  vote  for  a  slave 
code  in  the  different  territories  of  this  union.  Well,  if  you  [turning  to 
Mr.  Lincoln]  are  not  going  to  resist  the  decision,  if  you  obey  it,  and 
do  not  intend  to  array  mob  law  against  the  constituted  authorities, 
then,  according  to  your  own  statement,  you  will  be  a  perjured  man  if 
you  do  not  vote  to  establish  slavery  in  these  territories.  My  doctrine 
is,  that  even  taking  Mr.  Lincoln's  view  that  the  decision  recognizes 
the  right  of  a  man  to  carry  his  slaves  into  the  territories  of  the  United 
States,  if  he  pleases,  yet  after  he  gets  there  he  needs  affirmative  law  to 
make  that  right  of  any  value.  The  same  doctrine  not  only  applies  to 
slave  property,  but  all  other  kinds  of  property.  Chief  Justice  Taney 
places  it  upon  the  ground  that  slave  property  is  on  an  equal  footing 
with  other  property.  Suppose  one  of  your  merchants  should  move  to 
Kansas  and  open  a  liquor  store ;  he  has  a  right  to  take  groceries  and 
liquors  there,  but  the  mode  of  selling  them,  and  the  circumstances 
under  which  they  shall  be  sold,  and  all  the  remedies  must  be  prescribed 
by  local  legislation,  and  if  that  is  unfriendly  it  will  drive  him  out  just 
as  effectually  as  if  there  was  a  constitutional  provision  against  the  sale 
of  liquor.  So  the  absence  of  local  legislation  to  encourage  and  sup- 
port slave  property  in  a  territory  excludes  it  practically  just  as  effect- 
ually as  if  there  was  a  positive  constitutional  provision  against  it.  Hence, 
I  assert  that  under  the  Dred  Scott  decision  you  cannot  maintain  slavery 
a  day  in  a  territory  where  there  is  an  unwilling  people  and  unfriendly 
legislation.  If  the  people  are  opposed  to  it,  our  right  is  a  barren, 
worthless,  useless  right,  and  if  they  are  for  it,  they  will  support  and 
encourage  it.  We  come  right  back,  therefore,  to  the  practical  ques- 
tion, if  the  people  of  a  territory  want  slavery  they  will  have  it,  and  if 
they  do  not  want  it  you  cannot  force  it  on  them.  And  this  is  the  prac- 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  299 

tical  question,  the  great  principle,  upon  which  our  institutions  rest.  1 
am  willing  to  take  the  decision  of  the  supreme  court  as  it  was  pro- 
nounced by  that  august  tribunal  without  stopping  to  inquire  whether 
I  would  have  decided  that  way  or  not.  I  have  had  many  a  decision 
made  against  me  on  questions  of  law  which  I  did  not  like,  but  I  was 
bound  by  them  just  as  much  as  if  I  had  had  a  hand  in  making  them, 
and  approved  them.  Did  you  ever  see  a  lawyer  or  a  client  lose  his  case 
that  he  approved  the  decision  of  the  court?  They  always  think  the 
decision  unjust  when  it  is  given  against  them.  In  a  government  of  laws 
like  ours  we  must  sustain  the  constitution  as  our  fathers  made  it,  and 
maintain  the  rights  of  the  state  as  they  are  guaranteed  under  the  con- 
stitution, and  then  we  will  have  peace  and  harmony  between  the  differ- 
ent states  and  sections  of  this  glorious  Union. 


CHAPTEE  XXV 
ON  THE  EVE  OF  THE  GREAT   CONFLICT 

THE  ELECTION  OF  1858 — DOUGLAS  AT  BENTON — POLITICAL  MEETINGS 
AT  CENTRALIA — LAST  DEBATE  AT  ALTON — THE  CAMPAIGN  OF  1860 
— A  SON  OF  ILLINOIS. 

When  the  joint  debate  was  over  in  Jonesboro,  the  two  contestants 
began  their  journey  to  the  next  meeting  which  was  at  Charleston,  Coles 
county,  September  18.  Mr.  Lincoln  seems  to  have  gone  direct  to  Cen- 
tralia.  Just  north  of  Centralia  was  the  new  town  of  Central  City. 
Here  the  state  fair  was  in  progress.  Mr.  Douglas  was  not  in  haste  to 
reach  Centralia.  At  least  he  visited  Benton,  the  home  of  John  A.  Logan, 
where  he  received  an  ovation.  A  letter  from  Judge  Thomas  Layman  of 
Benton  tells  an  interesting  story  and  it  is  reproduced. 

DOUGLAS  AT  BENTON 

"BENTON,  Illinois,  May  1,  1912. 

"Prof.  George  W.  Smith,  Carbondale,  Illinois — Dear  Sir : — I  am  in  receipt  of 
your  letter  of  April  24th  asking  for  some  data  relative  to  the  visit  of  Stephen  A. 
Douglas  to  Benton  on  September  16,  1858.  The  Benton  Standard  was  burned 
three  years  ago  and  all  the  files  of  the  paper  since  1849  were  destroyed.  So  I  will 
not  be  able  to  give  you  much  information. 

"On  the  morning  of  September  16,  1858,  Tillman  B.  Cantrell,  Daniel  Mooney- 
ham  and  other  prominent  citizens  met  Douglas  at  Tamaroa.  At  that  time  110 
railroad  entered  Benton.  Douglas  arrived  in  Benton  sometime  before  noon,  and 
was  at  once  taken  to  the  home  of  John  A.  Logan  on  South  street  The  old  house 
where  he  was  entertained  is  still  standing.  He  spoke  in  a  grove  in  the  northwest 
part  of  town.  The  afternoon  of  the  fifteenth,  Mrs.  John  A.  Logan  went  over  town 
and  collected  money  to  buy  materials  with  which  to  make  a  flag.  She  and  a 
party  of  women  spent  nearly  all  the  night  making  the  flag  which  was  used  in 
the  procession  and  on  the  speaker's  stand  next  day.  After  Douglas  had  finished 
his  speech  he  was  driven  back  to  Tamaroa  and  took  the  north-bound  Illinois 
Central.  I  am  told  that  John  A.  Logan  presided  as  chairman  at  the  meeting. 
Mrs.  Douglas  did  not  accompany  him. 

"Mrs.  Tabitha  Browning  of  this  place  has  given  me  most  of  the  information 
that  I  have  obtained.  I  have  been  unable  to  find  anyone  thus  far  who  attended 
the  Jonesboro  debate  from  Benton.  Mr.  W.  S.  Cantrell  says  that  Judge  M.  C. 
Crawford  of  Jonesboro  can  probably  tell  you  of  the  Benton  visit  of  Douglas. 
If  I  find  anything  further  I  will  let  you  know.  With  best  wishes,  I  remain, 

"Very  sincerely, 

"Tnos.  J.  LAYMAN." 

POLITICAL  MEETINGS  AT  CENTRALIA 

From  The  Missouri  Republican — Sept  18,  1858:  "The  National 
Democrats  held  an  anti-Douglas  meeting  here  last  evening,  August  16, 
in  front  of  the  Veranda  Hotel,  to  express  their  opposition  to  Judge 

300 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  301 

Douglas,  and  the  principles  which  he  advocates.  The  meeting  was  but 
poorly  attended  and  several  times  interrupted  by  cries  for  Douglas. 
The  first  speaker,  Governor  Reynolds  (candidate  for  state  superin- 
tendent of  public  instruction),  addressed  the  crowd,  and  took  occasion 
in  the  course  of  his  remarks  to  say  that  he  would  not  countenance  St. 
Paul  though  he  had  sacred  gospels  on  his  lips,  if  he  favored  Douglas. 
He  was  followed  by  Colonel  Carpenter  and  Mr.  Hoyne  of  Chicago,  and 
others. 

' '  As  evidence  of  the  nature  of  the  meeting  and  the  amount  of  interest 
manifested,  I  will  say  I  saw  the  principal  speaker,  assisted  by  one  of  the 
editors  of  the  Chicago  Press  and  Tribune,  engaged  in  carrying  dry 
goods  boxes  to  make  a  platform  from  which  to  speak! 

' '  The  Douglas  Democrats  soon  got  up  an  opposition  meeting  within  a 
short  distance  and  drew  the  major  portion  of  the  crowd  away  from  the 
former  place.  The  Douglas  meeting  was  addressed  by  Messrs.  Linder, 
Fouke,  and  Hicks,  and  a  great  deal  of  enthusiasm  was  manifested 
throughout. ' ' 

On  the  next  afternoon,  September  17,  Senator  Douglas  spoke  to  the 
assembled  citizens  in  Centralia  in  answer  to  Governor  Reynolds  and  the 
other  administration  speakers. 

Both  Lincoln  and  Douglas  spent  their  spare  time  at  the  State  Fair, 
and  on  the  evening  of  the  17th  they  proceeded  to  Mattoon  where  both  re- 
mained over  night.  On  the  morning  of  the  18th  they  proceeded  by  wagon 
road  to  Charleston,  eight  miles  to  the  east.  Great  processions  were  formed 
and  the  intense  heat  and  great  clouds  of  dust  made  the  journey  very  try- 
ing. The  two  processions  were  met  out  of  Charleston  with  banners,  bands, 
and  great  crowds.  The  debate  occurred  in  the  fair  grounds,  and  the 
crowd  was  estimated  at  from  ten  to  fifteen  thousand. 

LAST  DEBATE  AT  ALTON 

The  last  of  the  joint  debates  was  held  at  Alton  October  15.  The 
speaking  occurred  at  the  east  side  of  the  present  city  hall.  There  were 
joint  committees  on  decorations,  music,  salutes,  and  other  matters  of 
common  interests.  Boats  and  trains  brought  in  people  from  all  direc- 
tions. The  audience  was  estimated  at  from  five  to  six  thousand.  The  dis- 
patches refer  to  Mr.  Douglas'  voice  as  much  impaired.  Mr.  Lincoln 
seems  to  have  stood  the  strain  of  the  campaign  some  better  than  Douglas. 
Following  the  Alton  debate  Mr.  Lincoln  filled  twelve  regular  engagements 
while  Mr.  Douglas  filled  nine. 

DOUGLAS  ELECTED  SENATOR 

The  election  occurred  Tuesday,  November  2,  1858.  "When  the  smoke 
of  battle  cleared  away  it  was  found  that  the  result  was :  Douglas — Senate, 
14 ;  house,  40 ;  total,  54. 

Lincoln — Senate,  11;  house,  35;  total,  46. 

The  state  had  gone  Republican  on  the  two  state  positions — the  treas- 
urership  and  the  superintendent  of  public  instruction.  And  probably  if 
the  apportionment  of  the  senatorial  and  representative  districts  had  been 
fairly  made  Lincoln  would  have  been  the  senator. 

The  contest  between  Douglas  and  Lincoln  had  attracted  the  atten- 
tion of  the  entire  country,  north  and  south,  east  and  west.  Mr.  Lincoln 


302 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


CITY  HALL,  ALTON,  WHERE  THE  LINCOLN-DOUGLAS  DEBATE  WAS  HELD 

IN  1858 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  303 

was  defeated  but  not  cast  down.  It  was  only  one  short  year  till  the  na- 
tional canvass  would  demand  attention  of  the  whole  people.  Lincoln 
wrote  to  a  friend  shortly  after  the  November  election  as  follows:  "The 
fight  must  go  on.  The  cause  of  civil  liberty  must  not  be  surrendered 
at  the  end  of  one  or  one  hundred  defeats.  Douglas  had  the  ingenuity 
to  be  supported  in  the  late  contest,  both  as  the  best  means  to  break 
down  and  to  uphold  the  slave  interest.  No  ingenuity  can  keep  these 
antagonistic  elements  in  harmony  long.  Another  explosion  will  soon 
come." 

Douglas  naturally  felt  proud  of  his  victory.  After  a  short  rest 
following  the  close  of  the  campaign,  he  made  a  tour  of  the  southern 
states ;  but  nothing  he  could  say  or  do  could  pacify  the  administration. 
Its  friends  were  up  in  arms  against  what  was  called  the  "Freeport 
Doctrine."  Douglas  must  feel  the  hand  of  the  administration,  and  so 
he  was  deposed  from  the  chairmanship  of  the  committee  on  territories 
which  he  had  held  for  eleven  years. 

In  the  Freeport  debate  Mr.  Lincoln  ingenuously  propounded  this 
question  to  Mr.  Douglas: 

"Can  the  people  of  a  United  States  territory  in  any  lawful  way, 
against  the  wish  of  any  citizens  of  the  United  States,  exclude  slavery 
from  its  limits  prior  to  the  formation  of  a  state  constitution  ? ' ' 

If  Mr.  Douglas  wishes  still  to  uphold  the  doctrine  of  Squatter 
Sovereignty  he  will  be  forced  to  say,  "Yes."  If  he  says,  "No,"  then 
his  doctrine  of  Squatter  Sovereignty  has  burst  as  a  bubble.  If  Doug- 
las answers  in  the  affirmative  he  runs  counter  to  the  decision  of  the  su- 
preme court  which  has  so  greatly  delighted  the  slave  holders  of  the 
south.  If  he  says,  "Yes,"  every  pro-slavery  southerner  will  be  ready 
to  read  him  out  of  the  Democratic  party.  If  he  says,  "No,"  he  will 
lose  the  senatorship,  for  those  that  are  pleading  Douglas'  cause  argue 
that  Douglas  ought  to  be  sustained  because  he  stands  for  abiding  by 
the  will  of  the  people  as  expressed  in  regularly  constituted  means  for 
such  expression.  He  had  won  many  admirers,  not  only  in  Illinois  but 
throughout  the  north,  for  refusing  to  endorse  the  action  of  the  Le- 
compton  convention  which  shamefully  disfranchised  nearly  10,000  citi- 
zens of  Kansas.  In  this  stand  he  had  lost  the  good  will  of  Buchanan 
and  as  to  the  general  feeling  toward  him  in  the  south  we  shall  see 
presently. 

Douglas  was  truly  midway  between  two  great  dangers,  but  sum- 
moning all  his  native  skill  in  the  art  of  debate  he  answered :  "  I  answer 
emphatically,  as  Mr.  Lincoln  has  heard  me  answer  a  hundred  times 
from  every  stump  in  Illinois,  that,  in  my  opinion  the  people  of  the 
territory  can  by  lawful  means,  exclude  slavery  from  their  limits  prior 
to  the  formation  of  a  state  constitution.  .  .  .  The  people  have  the 
lawful  means  to  introduce  it  or  exclude  it,  as  they  please,  for  the  rea- 
son that  slavery  cannot  exist  a  day,  or  an  hour,  anywhere,  unless  it  is 
supported  by  local  police  regulation." 

This  greatly  angered  the  south ;  and  the  press  and  the  public  speak- 
ers in  that  section  denounced  him  in  the  severest  terms.  To  get  at 
something  of  the  feelings  of  the  people  in  the  south  toward  Douglas  for 
his  answer  to  question  number  two,  let  us  hear  Senator  Judah  P.  Ben- 
jamin, of  Louisiana,  in  the  United  States  senate,  May  28,  1860:  "Up 
to  the  years  of  1857  and  1858,  no  man  in  this  nation  had  a  higher  or 
more  exalted  opinion  of  the  character,  the  services  and  the  political 


304  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

integrity  of  the  senator  from  Illinois  (Douglas)  than  I  had  .  .  . 
Sir  ...  I  have  been  obliged  to  pluck  down  my  idol  from  his  place 
on  high,  and  to  refuse  him  any  more  support  or  confidence  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  party.  .  .  .  The  causes  that  have  operated  on  me  have 
operated  on  the  Democratic  party  of  the  United  States,  and  have  ope- 
rated an  effect  which  the  whole  future  life  of  the  senator  will  be  utterly 
unable  to  obliterate.  It  is  impossible  that  confidence  lost  can  be  re- 
stored. .  .  .  We  accuse  him  for  this,  to-wit:  That  having  bar- 
gained with  us  upon  a  point  upon  which  we  were  an  issue,  that  it 
should  be  a  judicial  point;  that  he  would  abide  the  decision;  that  he 
would  act  under  the  decision,  and  consider  it  a  doctrine  of  the  party; 
that  having  said  that  to  us  here  in  the  senate,  he  went  home,  and  under 
the  stress  of  a  local  election,  his  knees  gave  way;  his  whole  person 
trembled.  His  adversary  stood  upon  principle  and  was  beaten;  and  lo! 
he  is  the  candidate  of  a  mighty  party  for  the  presidency  of  the  United 
States.  The  senator  from  Illinois  faltered.  He  got  the  prize  for  which 
he  faltered ;  but  lo !  the  grand  prize  of  his  ambition  today  slips  from 
his  grasp  because  of  his  faltering  in  his  former  contest,  and  his  suc- 
cess in  the  canvas  for  the  senate,  purchased  for  an  ignoble  price,  has 
cost  him  the  loss  of  the  presidency  of  the  United  States. ' ' 

This  speech  is  no  doubt  a  fair  statement  of  the  feeling  of  the  south 
toward  Douglas  for  his  failure  to  stand  up  boldly  for  the  decision  of 
the  supreme  court. 

THE  CAMPAIGN  OF  1860 

The  year  1860  was  one  which  will  long  be  remembered  by  those 
who  were  old  enough  to  be  aware  of  the  significance  of  the  events  of 
that  memorable  year.  It  can  be  truly  said  that  since  the  success  of  the 
Republican  party  in  1856,  that  politics  was  the  absorbing  thing  in  the 
state.  Everyone  looked  forward  to  the  presidential  contest  which  was 
to  take  place  in  the  summer  and  fall  of  1860.  In  the  west  there  was 
little  doubt  that  Lincoln  was  the  logical  candidate  of  the  Republican 
party.  However,  there  were  other  men  worthy  of  such  honor.  Salmon 
P.  Chase,  of  Ohio,  William  A.  Seward,  of  New  York,  and  Simon  Cam- 
eron, of  Pennsylvania,  were  also  considered  presidential  possibilities. 

The  great  battle  fought  between  Lincoln  and  Douglas  had  drawn 
all  eyes  toward  Illinois  and  Abraham  Lincoln.  A  Chicago  editor  wrote 
to  Lincoln  while  the  campaign  was  in  progress  in  1858,  and  said :  ' '  You 
are  like  Byron,  who  woke  up  one  morning  and  found  himself  famous. 
People  wish  to  know  about  you.  You  have  sprung  at  once  from  the 
position  of  a  capital  fellow  and  a  leading  lawyer  in  Illinois,  to  a  na- 
tional reputation. ' '  David  Davis,  one  of  the  great  men  in  Illinois,  wrote 
Lincoln  in  1858,  just  after  the  final  result  became  known  and  said: 
"You  have  made  a  noble  canvass  which,  if  unavaling  in  this  state,  has 
earned  you  a  national  reputation,  and  made  you  friends  everywhere." 

The  Republican  central  committee  of  New  Hampshire  sent  word 
to  Lincoln  that  if  Douglas  came  into  that  state,  to  make  a  campaign, 
they  would  want  Mr.  Lincoln's  services.  Scores  of  calls  came  from 
all  parts  of  the  country  for  Mr.  Lincoln's  help  in  the  political  cam- 
paign of  1859.  Mr.  Lincoln's  most  serious  political  work  in  1859, 
was  in  the  campaign  in  Ohio.  The  Democratic  party  had  invited 
Douglas  into  that  state,  and  as  soon  as  this  was  known  the  Republican 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  305 

committee  urged  Mr.  Lincoln  to  come  to  Ohio.  This  Mr.  Lincoln  did. 
He  made  two  set  speeches;  one  at  Columbus  and  one  at  Cincinnati. 
The  burden  of  his  speeches  was  the  subject  of  slavery.  He  met  with 
enthusiastic  friends  everywhere.  The  committee  thought  so  much  of 
his  influence  in  carrying  Ohio  that  they  arranged  to  print  in  cheap 
book  form  his  debate  with  Douglas,  together  with  the  two  speeches  in 
Ohio,  as  campaign  documents  for  the  presidential  canvass  in  1860. 

In  the  winter  of  1859-60,  Mr.  Lincoln  was  invited  to  New  York  and 
Boston  to  make  public  addresses.  He  also  visited  many  other  points 
in  the  New  England  and  the  Middle  States.  These  addresses  were 
somewhat  of  the  nature  of  lectures.  Mr.  Lincoln  received  pay,  at  least 
in  New  York  and  Boston,  at  the  rate  of  $200  per  night.  In  New  York 
he  spoke  in  Cooper  Institute  to  one  of  the  finest  audiences  which  ever 
assembled  in  the  city.  William  Cullen  Bryant  was  chairman  of  the 
evening.  The  next  morning  The  Tribune  said :  ' '  Since  the  days  of  Clay 
and  Webster  no  man  has  spoken  to  a  larger  assemblage  of  the  intellect 
and  mental  culture  in  our  city."  This  trip  to  the  east  was  of  great 
value  to  Mr.  Lincoln  when  the  coming  canvass  was  under  way. 

All  through  the  year  of  1859  there  was  a  quiet,  though  effective, 
work  going  on  in  Illinois  looking  toward  the  securing  of  the  Republi- 
can nomination  for  the  presidency  for  Mr.  Lincoln.  Among  those  who 
were  thus  pushing  the  claims  of  Lincoln  were  David  Davis,  Leonard 
Swett,  Judge  Stephen  T.  Logan,  John  M.  Palmer,  Jesse  W.  Fell,  John 
Wentworth,  Joseph  Medill,  Norman  B.  Judd,  Richard  Oglesby  and 
scores  of  others.  County  conventions,  which  were  being  held  in  the 
early  spring  of  1860,  instructed  their  delegates  to  the  state  convention 
to  work  for  the  nomination  of  Lincoln.  In  the  winter  of  '59  and  '60, 
Joseph  Medill,  editor  of  the  Chicago  Tribune  was  in  Washington,  try- 
ing quietly  to  work  up  a  Lincoln  sentiment,  and  on  February  16,  1860, 
The  Tribune  came  out  editorially  for  Lincoln. 

But  in  a  list  of  twenty-one  persons  mentioned  for  the  presidency 
published  in  New  York  in  the  winter  of  '59  and  '60,  Lincoln's  name 
does  not  appear.  There  was  scarcely  a  paper  in  the  east  that  ever 
mentioned  his  name  as  a  probable  candidate. 

The  state  Republican  convention  met  in  Decatur  May  9  and  10. 
Here  Lincoln  received  an  ovation.  John  M.  Palmer  moved  that, 
"Abraham  Lincoln  is  the  choice  of  the  Republican  party  of  Illinois 
for  the  presidency,  and  the  delegates  from  this  state  are  instructed  to 
use  all  honorable  means  to  secure  his  nomination  by  the  Chicago  con- 
vention, and  to  vote  as  a  unit  for  him."  At  this  convention  Richard 
Yates  was  nominated  for  governor  and  a  full  ticket  put  into  the  field. 

We  have  already  spoken  of  Douglas'  trip  through  the  southern 
states  following  the  campaign  of  1858.  He  spoke  in  all  the  large  cities 
in  the  south.  He  was  received  with  marked  courtesy  and  listened  to 
with  growing  interest.  In  early  January,  1859,  Douglas  arrived  at  the 
capitol  and  took  his  seat  in  the  senate.  He  was  soon  made  aware  of  the 
fact  that  the  southern  senators  had  deposed  him  from  the  leadership 
of  his  party  or  at  least  the  southern  half  of  it.  They  demanded  of  him 
what  he  would  do  if  according  to  his  "Freeport  Doctrine"  the  terri- 
torial legislature  should  legislate  so  unfriendly  as  to  exclude  slavery. 
They  pressed  him  so  closely  and  made  such  demands  that  he  said  to 
them:  "I  tell  you,  gentlemen  of  the  south,  in  all  candor,  I  do  not  be- 
lieve a  Democratic  candidate  can  carry  any  one  Democratic  state  of 


306  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

the  north  on  the  platform  that  it  is  the  duty  of  the  federal  government 
to  force  the  people  of  a  territory  to  have  slavery  when  they  do  not 
want  it." 

Here,  in  the  closing  days  of  the  session  an  irreparable  schism  was 
opened  between  the  slaveholding  Democracy  of  the  south  and  the  Squat- 
ter Sovereignty  Democracy  of  the  north.  In  June,  1859,  Douglas,  in  an- 
swer to  a  question  as  to  whether  he  would  be  a  candidate  for  the  presi- 
dency replied  that  if  the  Democracy  adhere  to  its  former  principles  his 
friends  would  be  at  liberty  to  present  his  name.  On  the  contrary  he 
said,  if  the  convention  shall  insist  on  the  revival  of  the  slave-trade,  or 
hold  that  congress  has  a  right  to  pass  a  slave  code  for  the  territories,  or 
that  the  constitution  of  the  United  States  either  establishes  or  prohibits 
slavery  in  the  territories  beyond  the  power  of  the  people  legally  to  con- 
trol it,  then  he  could  not  accept  the  nomination  if  tendered  to  him. 

The  National  Republican  convention  met  in  a  wigwam  in  Chicago. 
May  16,  1860.  Strong  delegations  were  present  from  the  eastern  states 
to  whom  the  western  methods  of  campaigning  may  have  been  a  little 
new.  A  committee  of  one  from  each  state  and  territory,  was  appointed 
on  the  committee  on  resolution  which  reported  a  very  conservative  set 
of  resolutions  as  the  platform  of  the  party.  The  following  is  an  abridg- 
ment of  that  document: 

The  past  four  years  have  justified  the  organization  of  the  Republican 
party.  The  causes  which  called  it  into  existence  are  permanent. 

The  principal  of  equality,  stated  in  the  Declaration  of  Independence, 
is  essential  to  the  preservation  of  our  Republican  institutions. 

The  wonderful  development  of  the  nation  is  the  result  of  the  union  of 
the  states. 

The  lawless  invasion   of  any   state  or  territory   by   armed   force   is 
among  the  gravest  of  crimes. 

The  dogma  that  the  constitution  carries  slavery  into  the  Territories 
is  a  dangerous  political  heresy. 

We  deny  the  right  of  congress,  or  of  any  territorial  legislature,  or  of 
any  individuals,  to  legalize  slavery  in  any  territory  of  the  United  States. 

The  recent  re-opening  of  the  African  slave  trade  is  a  crime  against 
humanity. 

Kansas  should  of  right  be  admitted  as  a  state  under  the  constitution 
recently  formed. 

The  party  favors  a  protective  tariff. 

The  party  favors  liberal  homestead  laws. 

Pledges  efficient  protection  to  all  classes  of  citizens. 

All  citizens  who  can  unite  on  this  platform  of  principles  are  invited 
to  give  it  their  support. 

On  the  first  ballot  Seward  had  132y2,  Lincoln  102,  Cameron  50y2, 
Bates  48,  Chase  49,  scattering  42.  Lincoln's  friends  felt  greatly  en- 
couraged. The  second  ballot,  resulted,  Seward  184y2,  Lincoln  181,  Bates 
35,  Chase  42i/>,  scattering  22.  On  the  third  ballot  Seward  stood  183, 
Lincoln  23iy2,~Bates  22,  Chase  24y2,  scattering  7.  The  total  number  of 
delegates  was  466,  a  majority  of  which  would  be  234.  Lincoln  lacked 
only  2y2  votes  of  the  nomination.  The  Ohio  delegates  changed  four 
votes  to  Lincoln  from  Chase,  and  Lincoln  was  nominated.  With  him  was 
nominated  Hannibal  Hamlin,  of  Maine,  for  vice  president.  Mr.  Lincoln 
was  notified  of  his  nomination  immediately,  and  the  greatest  problem 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  307 

he  had  ever  faced  was  now  before  him— that  of  harmonizing  all  of  the 
forces  which  were  eventually  to  bring  about  his  election. 

The  National  Democratic  convention  met  at  Charleston,  South  Caro- 
lina, April  23,  1860.  It  was  known  long  before  that  day  that  there 
would  be  a  wide  difference  of  opinion  on  the  subject  of  slavery  in  the 
convention.  Upon  the  completion  of  the  permanent  organization,  the 
committee  on  resolutions  was  named.  On  the  27th,  Mr.  Avery,  of  North 
Carolina,  from  the  majority  of  the  committee  on  platform  reported  (in 
part)  as  follows: 

Resolved,  That  the  National  Democracy  of  the  United  States  hold 
these  cardinal  principles  on  the  subject  of  slavery  in  the  territories; — 
1st,  That  congress  has  no  power  to  abolish  slavery  in  the  territories; 
2d.  That  the.  territorial  legislature  has  no  power  to  abolish  slavery  in 
the  territory,  nor  to  prohibit  the  introduction  of  slaves  therein,  nor  any 
power  to  destroy  or  impair  the  right  of  property  in  slaves  by  any  legis- 
lation whatever. 

This  was  a  part  of  the  majority  report.  Mr.  Henry  B.  Payne,  of 
Ohio,  presented  the  minority  report  which  affirmed  the  platform  of  1856, 
but  added:  "Resolved,  (2)  That  the  Democratic  party  will  abide  by  the 
decision  of  the  supreme  court  of  the  United  States  on  the  question  of 
constitutional  law. ' ' 

Mr.  Avery,  in  commenting  upon  the  situation,  said :  "  I  say  that  the 
results  and  ultimate  consequences  to  the  southern  states  of  this  confed- 
eracy, if  the  Popular  Sovereignty  doctrine  be  adopted  as  the  doctrine 
of  the  Democratic  party,  would  be  as  dangerous  and  subversive  of  their 
rights  as  the  adoption  of  the  principle  of  congressional  intervention  or 
provision."  In  this  Mr.  Avery  meant  to  say  that  the  Republican  doc- 
trine would  be  as  acceptable  to  the  south  as  the  Squatter  Sovereignty 
doctrine. 

A  vote  was  taken  on  the  platform  as  reported  by  Mr.  Avery  and  the 
one  reported  by  Mr.  Payne,  both  of  which  had  been  somewhat  modified. 

Mr.  Payne's  report  was  adopted  by  a  vote  of  165  to  138.  There- 
upon Alabama  gave  notice  of  her  intention  to  withdraw  from  the  con- 
vention. Other  states  followed.  The  seceding  members  held  a  meeting 
and  adjourned  to  Richmond.  The  Douglas  contingent  balloted  several 
times  for  President,  but  not  making  a  choice  adjourned  to  Baltimore. 
Here  in  June.  Douglas  was  nominated  for  the  presidency. 

The  canvass  was  encouraging  to  Lincoln's  friends  from  the  start. 
The  opposition  was  divided ;  the  Republicans  were  enthusiastic  from  the 
beginning.  The  twenty-four  states  which  took  part  in  the  Chicago  con- 
vention had  234  electoral  votes  out  of  the  total  of  303.  Fremont,  in 
1856,  had  carried  114  electoral  votes  and  to  these  the  Republicans,  in 
their  estimate,  added  the  votes  of  New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  Indiana, 
and  Illinois,  making  169.  a  wide  margin  over  the  needed  majority  of  152. 

A  very  dramatic  feature  of  the  campaign  was  the  use  of  many  things 
illustrative  of  Lincoln's  life.  Rails,  mauls,  axes,  and  log  cabins  were 
siams  of  his  boyhood  davs.  'Tis  true  the  east  was  greatly  disappointed 
when  Lincoln  received  the  nomination.  They  said  he  was  without  school- 
ing, was  uncultured,  and  would  be  a  "nullity"  if  elected.  But  while 
all  manner  of  uncomplimentary  things  were  being  said  about  Lincoln, 
the  great  men  who  contended  with  him  for  the  nomination  were  logically 


308  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

standing  by  the  candidate.  Such  men  as  Sumner,  Seward,  Chase,  Clay, 
Greeley,  and  many  others  of  that  kind  of  people  took  the  stump  for 
Lincoln. 

The  election  came  off  the  6th  of  November.  Out  of  the  total  of  303 
electoral  votes,  Lincoln  received  180.  But  there  were  fifteen  states  that 
did  not  give  him  an  electoral  vote,  and  in  ten  states  he  did  not  receive 
a  single  popular  vote.  Lincoln  received  in  Illinois  172,161  votes; 
Douglas,  160,215;  Bell,  4,913;  Breckenridge,  2,401.  Yates  was  elected 
governor  over  Allen,  the  Democratic  candidate,  by  some  13,000  votes. 

Both  houses  of  the  legislature  were  Republican. 

The  legislature  met  Monday,  January  7,  1861,  and  organized  by  elect- 
ing Shelby  M.  Cullom  speaker  of  the  lower  house.  This  was  the  first 
time  that  the  Democrats  did  not  control  one  or  both  branches  of  the  leg- 
islature. Governor  Wood,  the  retiring  executive,  reported  that  the  state 
debt  had  decreased  during  the  four  years  preceding  nearly  $3,000,000. 
On  the  14th  of  January  Richard  Yates  was  inaugurated  governor  for 
four  years.  His  inaugural  address  was  a  vigorous  statement  of  the  views 
of  the  Republican  party  relative  to  the  preservation  of  the  union.  After 
the  election  of  Lyman  Trumbull,  United  States  senator,  and  the  passage 
of  a  few  bills,  the  legislature  adjourned. 

A  SON  OF  ILLINOIS 

Abraham  Lincoln  was  born  three  miles  from  Hodgensville,  in  La  Rue 
county,  Kentucky,  February  12,  1809.  His  father's  name  was  Thomas 
and  his  mother's  maiden  name  was  Nancy  Hanks.  It  has  often  been 
stated  that  Lincoln's  parents  were  poor.  Perhaps  they  were;  so  were 
many  other  families  in  Kentucky.  When  he  was  about  four  years  old 
his  parents  moved  to  Knob  Creek,  sixteen  miles  away  from  his  birthplace. 
Here  he  began  his  education,  but  evidently  he  did  not  make  a  business  of 
going  to  school.  Mr.  Lincoln  says  he  thinks  six  months  would  cover  all 
the  time  he  ever  went  to  school. 

In  1816,  Thomas  Lincoln  moved  to  a  farm  one  and  one-half  miles 
east  of  Gentryville,  Spencer  county,  Indiana.  Abraham  was  now  seven 
years  old.  The  home  is  described  as  a  "half-face  camp."  The  furnish- 
ings were  very  meager.  Wild  game  was  plentiful  in  the  thick  woods 
about  them.  It  has  been  said  that  Thomas  Lincoln  neglected  his  wife 
and  children  while  here.  Abraham  says  that  these  were  "pretty  pinch- 
ing times. ' '  Abraham 's  mother  died  in  1818,  and  then  no  doubt  the  Lin- 
coln home  was  desolate  indeed. 

In  1819,  Thomas  Lincoln  returned  to  Kentucky  and  married  Sally 
Bush  Johnston,  a  widow  with  three  children.  Mrs.  Johnston  and  Thomas 
had  been  lovers  in  their  younger  days.  The  new  mother  brought  quite 
a  few  comforts  to  the  forlorn  home  in  Indiana. 

In  1828  Abraham  took  a  flat  boat  to  New  Orleans  for  a  Mr.  Gentry. 
The  cargo  was  disposed  of  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  owner  thereof.  He 
returned  to  Gentryville  to  find  that  the  Lincoln  family  had  the  western 
fever. 

In  1830  the  Lincoln  family  moved  to  Illinois  and  settled  near  Deca- 
tur  some  ten  miles  west.  Here  is  where  Lincoln  made  the  historic  rails. 

The  Lincolns  fenced  ten  acres  of  ground,  broke  it,  and  planted  it  in 
corn.  Lincoln  was  twenty-one  years  old  February  12,  1830,  and  this  was 
the  last  work  he  helped  his  father  do. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


309 


ABRAHAM  LINCOLN 


310  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

In  the  winter  of  "the  deep  snow,"  Lincoln  with  others  engaged  to 
take  a  flat  boat  to  New  Orleans.  Lincoln  helped  to  build  the  boat  at 
Sangamon  town  (New  Salem),  and  the  trip  was  made  to  New  Orleans  in 
the  spring  of  1831.  It  was  while  in  the  city  of  New  Orleans  that  he  saw 
a  mulatto  girl  offered  for  sale  from  the  auction  block  in  a  slave  market. 
The  conduct  of  the  auctioneer  and  the  bidders  was  so  revolting  that  Lin- 
coln is  said  to  have  remarked  to  his  companions,  John  Hanks  and  John 
D.  Johnston,  ' '  Boys,  let 's  get  away  from  this.  If  I  ever  get  a  chance  to 
hit  that  thing  (slavery),  I  will  hit  it  hard." 

On  his  return  he  engaged  to  keep  store  in  New  Salem  for  Denton 
Offutt.  This  may  have  been  in  the  fall  of  1831.  Here  Lincoln  spent  the 
next  few  years  of  his  life.  It  was  indeed  a  strenuous  one.  He  studied, 
read,  wrestled,  and  courted.  Some  attention  was  given  to  the  study  of 
English  grammar.  In  1832  he  offered  himself  as  a  candidate  for  the 
legislature.  He  had  hardly  announced  himself,  when  in  April,  1832, 
word  came  to  New  Salem  of  the  call  for  troops  to  go  to  the  Black  Hawk 
war. 

Abraham  Lincoln  was  captain  of  one  of  the  four  companies  which 
constituted  the  Fourth  regiment.  When  the  army  was  mustered  out,  May 
27,  1832,  Lincoln  re-enlisted  as  a  private  in  Captain  lies'  company  for 
twenty  days.  When  his  time  was  up  for  this  enlistment,  he  re-enlisted  in 
Capt.  Jacob  M.  Early 's  company.  He  moved  with  the  army  up  Rock 
river  to  the  Wisconsin  line,  but  later  returned  to  Dixon  where  he  was 
mustered  out.  He  and  a  companion  walked  across  country  to  Ottawa, 
came  to  Havana  in  a  canoe,  and  walked  to  New  Salem.  He  was  defeated 
in  the  fall  of  1832  for  the  legislature,  but  was  elected  the  fall  of  1834. 

He  served  in  the  legislature  from  December,  1834,  to  December,  1842. 
He  represented  the  Springfield  district  in  congress  from  December,  1847- 
1849.  In  1855  he  was  an  unsuccessful  candidate  for  the  United  States 
senate.  In  1856  he  was  active  in  the  campaign  in  which  Bissell  was  a 
candidate  for  governor.  This  brings  us  to  the  organization  of  the  Repub- 
lican party  and  his  career  has  been  briefly  sketched  and  from  that  time 
to  his  election  to  the  presidency.  Lincoln  remained  in  Springfield  during 
the  canvass  of  1860.  He  received  many  distinguished  visitors  during  the 
summer  as  well  as  during  the  winter  following  the  election.  Three  things 
especially  occupied  his  mind  during  the  winter  of  1860-1.  One  was  get- 
ting acquainted  with  the  men  with  whom  he  must  be  associated  in  the 
work  of  carrying  on  the  government.  Another  was  the  problem  of  select- 
ing his  cabinet— a  task  of  no  small  proportion.  A  third  was  formulating 
his  inaugural  address.  There  was  one  thing  which  was  a  great  annoy- 
ance in  these  swiftly  passing  days;  it  was  the  spread  of  the  secession 
movement.  His  mail  was  extraordinarily  heavy.  All  sorts  of  suggestions 
were  pouring  in  on  him  and  all  sorts  of  inquiries. 

As  the  time  approached  for  his  departure  for  Washington,  he  settled 
up  all  his  private  business  affairs.  One  of  the  most  significant  incidents 
of  the  closing  days  of  his  life  as  a  private  citizen  was  his  visit  to  his  step- 
mother, who  lived  in  Coles  county — near  Charleston.  He  spent  a  day 
with  her,  and  accompanied  by  her,  he  visited  the  grave  of  his  father.  Mr. 
Lincoln  loved  his  step-mother  very  tenderly  and  it  must  indeed  have  been 
very  touching  to  see  this  sad  parting,  for  his  mother  told  him  she  never 
expected  to  see  him  again.  She  was  now  seventy-three  years  old.  She 
died  December  10,  1869. 

The  ballots  of  a  free  people,  freely  cast,  had  declared  that  Abraham 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  311 

Lincoln  should  serve  the  whole  people  in  the  exalted  station  of  president 
of  the  United  States.  No  election  had  ever  been  freer  from  undefined  or 
undefinable  issues.  There  could  be  no  doubt  as  to  where  at  least  three  of 
the  candidates  stood  upon  every  issue  which  entered  into  the  campaign. 
But  no  sooner  was  the  result  definitely  known  than  steps  were  taken 
which  looked  to  the  ultimate  dissolution  of  the  Union.  In  fact  long  be- 
fore the  election  in  November  there  was  a  movement  in  the  south  favoring 
secession  in  the  event  of  Mr.  Lincoln's  election. 

The  rapid  growth  of  the  idea  of  secession,  between  November  6,  1860, 
and  the  4th  of  March,  1861,  is  well  known,  and  it  need  not  here  be  de- 
scribed. The  seceded  states  had  formed  a  government,  and  by  the  time 
Lincoln  was  inaugurated  nearly  all  semblance  of  national  authority  in 
the  south  had  been  swept  away. 

The  winter  of  1860-1  in  the  national  capital,  witnessed  some  very 
strange  proceedings.  The  representatives  and  senators  from  the  seces- 
sion states  were,  day  after  day,  resigning  their  positions  in  the  federal 
congress,  and  they  invariably  took  occasion  to  deliver  very  bitter  fare- 
wells before  retiring.  Patriotic  men  were  doing  their  best  to  bring  about 
some  sort  of  a  compromise  which  would  restore  harmony  to  the  distracted 
country.  All  sorts  of  rumors  were  afloat,  and  the  public  mind  was  strung 
to  the  highest  tension.  Stephen  A.  Douglas  had  no  sympathy  with  seces- 
sion. He  took  a  very  decided  stand  on  behalf  of  the  preservation  of  the 
Union. 

Lincoln  left  Springfield  for  Washington,  February  11,  1861.  To  a 
great  concourse  of  friends  and  neighbors  who  had  gathered  about  the  sta- 
tion he  addressed  a  very  touching  farewell.  He  said: 

' '  My  friends,  no  one,  not  in  my  situation,  can  appreciate  my  feelings 
of  sadness  at  this  parting.  To  this  place,  and  the  kindness  of  these 
people,  I  owe  everything.  Here  I  have  lived  a  quarter  of  a  century,  and 
have  passed  from  a  young  man  to  an  old  man.  Here  my  children  have 
been  born  and  one  is  buried.  I  now  leave,  not  knowing  when  or  whether 
ever  I  may  return,  with  a  task  before  me  greater  than  that  which  rested 
upon  Washington.  Without  the  assistance  of  that  Divine  Being  who  ever 
attended  him,  1  cannot  succeed.  With  that  assistance  I  cannot  fail. 
Trusting  in  Him  who  can  go  with  me,  and  remain  with  you,  and  be  every- 
where for  good,  let  us  confidently  hope  that  all  will  yet  be  well.  To  His 
care  commending  you,  as  I  hope  in  your  prayers  you  will  commend  me,  I 
bid  you  an  affectionate  farewell." 

Mr.  Lincoln  made  short  speeches  in  some  of  the  cities  through  which 
he  passed  on  his  way  to  Washington.  In  Philadelphia  word  was  received 
that  an  attack  would  be  made  upon  his  life  in  Baltimore.  This  caused  a 
change  in  the  programme  in  the  rest  of  his  journey.  He  reached  Wash- 
ington safely,  on  the  morning  of  the  4th  of  March,  1861,  and  was  ready 
for  the  inaugural  exercises. 

Shortly  before  noon  the  retiring  President,  Mr.  Buchanan,  called  for 
Mr.  Lincoln  and  escorted  him  to  the  senate  chamber.  From  here  they 
passed  out  upon  a  large  platform  erected  upon  the  east  side  of  the  capitol 
where  he  delivered  his  inaugural  in  the  presence  of  senators,  representa- 
tives, judges,  foreign  ministers,  and  other  public  dignitaries. 

When  the  distinguished  party  came  upon  the  platform  and  were 
seated.  Senator  Edward  Baker  arose  and  introduced  Mr.  Lincoln,  and  as 
he  came  forward  a  few  steps  with  his  cane  in  his  hand,  together  with  his 
manuscript  and  his  tall  silk  hat,  he  was  embarrassed  for  want  of  a  place 


312  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

to  put  his  hat.  Just  then  Senator  Douglas  saw  the  embarrassment,  step- 
ped forward  and  took  the  president's  hat,  and  stepping  back  and  holding 
it  in  his  hand,  said  to  a  cousin  of  Mrs.  Lincoln,  "  Ifl  can  't  be  President, 
I  can  at  least  hold  his  hat.  '  ' 

The  inaugural  speech  was  a  very  clear  statement  of  what  he  saw  as 
his  duty  as  the  chief  magistrate  of  the  nation.  He  was  especially  anxious 
to  have  his  hearers  understand  that  he  had  been  nominated  and  elected 
by  people  who  had  full  knowledge  of  the  fact  that  one  of  his  fundamental 
doctrines  was  that,  "I  have  no  purpose,  directly  or  indirectly  to  inter- 
fere with  the  institution  of  slavery  in  the  states  where  it  exists.  I  believe 
I  have  no  lawful  right  to  do  so,  and  I  have  no  inclination  to  do  so.  '  '  He 
also  read  from  the  Chicago  platform  that,  "The  right  of  each  state  to 
order  and  control  its  own  domestic  institution  according  to  its  own  judg- 
ment exclusively  is  essential  to  that  balance  of  power  on  which  the  per- 


'if  * 


ESTIMATE  BY  HON.  W.  P.  KELLOGG  OF  THE  GREATNESS  OF  ABRAHAM 

LINCOLN 

fection  and  endurance  of  our  political  fabric  depends."  He  was  also 
careful  to  let  be  known  that  he  regarded  '  '  The  Union  as  unbroken  ;  and 
to  the  extent  of  my  ability,  I  shall  take  care,  as  the  constitution  expressly 
enjoins  upon  me,  that  the  laws  of  the  Union  be  faithfully  executed  in  all 
the  states."  Just  near  the  close,  as  he  was  addressing  his  "dissatisfied 
countrymen,"  he  showed  them  wherein  he  had  the  advantage  of  them. 
"You  have  no  oath  registered  in  heaven  to  destroy  the  government,  while 
I  have  the  most  solemn  one  to  preserve,  protect,  and  defend  it.  '  ' 

On  the  12th  of  April,  Gen.  G.  T.  Beauregard,  under  the  direction  of 
the  authority  of  South  Carolina,  commenced  a  bombardment  of  Fort 
Sumter.  This  was  on  Friday.  On  Sunday  morning,  General  Anderson 
surrendered,  and  marched  out  with  the  honors  of  war.  Monday  morning, 
the  15th,  President  Lincoln  issued  a  call  for  75,000  men.  The  news  of  the 
insult  to  the  flag  of  the  nation  and  to  its  brave  defenders,  flashed  over 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  313 

the  loyal  states  with  wonderful  rapidity,  and  nowhere  was  more  patriotic 
enthusiasm  aroused  than  in  the  Prairie  state. 

Within  a  few  days,  on  April  18,  after  the  fall  of  Sumter,  Stephen  A. 
Douglas  called  on  President  Lincoln  and  assured  him  of  his  heartiest  sup- 
port and  on  the  25th  of  April  he  was  in  Springfield,  and  here  upon  invita- 
tion of  the  legislature  which  had  met  in  special  session  he  addressed  that 
body.  The  speech  of  April  25  was  a  vigorous  arraignment  of  secession 
and  a  patriotic  appeal  to  all  to  defend  the  constitution  and  the  flag. 
Prom  here  Douglas  went  to  Chicago,  where  he  spoke  in  a  similar  strain 
in  the  "wigwam,"  where  Lincoln  was  nominated.  Douglas  was  taken 
sick  almost  immediately  after  this  "wigwam"  speech  and  was  confined 
to  his  room  in  the  Tremont  House,  where  he  died  the  3d  of  June,  1861. 
It  was  very  unfortunate  for  the  cause  of  the  Union  that  Douglas  died 
so  early  in  the  great  struggle.  Had  he  lived  he  would  surely  have  been 
a  valuable  friend  of  President  Lincoln.  He  had  no  sympathy  with 
secession. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 
WAR  HISTORY  (1861-1898) 

POLITICS  IN  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS — PRESIDENTIAL  VOTE  (1860)  IN  LOGAN'S 
DISTRICT — STATE  CONVENTIONS  AND  ASSEMBLIES — KNIGHTS  OP  THE 
GOLDEN  CIRCLE — "THE  AMERICAN  BASTILE" — SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 
IN  CAMP  AND  BATTLE — THREE  YEARS'  SERVICE — ONE  HUNDRED 
DAYS'  SERVICE — THE  ALTON  BATTALION — ONE  YEAR  SERVICE — CAV- 
ALRY SERVICE — SPANISH- AMERICAN  WAR — THE  FOURTH  ILLINOIS  IN- 
FANTRY— EIGHTH  ILLINOIS  INFANTRY — NINTH  ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

The  election  in  November  1860  resulted  in  the  choice  of  Richard 
Yates,  Republican  candidate  for  govenor  over  James  C.  Allen.  The 
Democratic  candidate,  by  a  vote  of  172,196  to  159,253.  Of  the  nine 
congressmen,  those  from  the  first,  second,  third  and  fourth  districts  were 
Republican  while  the  other  five  were  Democrats.  In  the  seventh  district 
James  C.  Robinson,  Democrat,  of  Marshall,  defeated  James  T.  Cunning- 
ham, Republican ;  Philip  B.  Fouke,  Democrat,  of  Belleville,  defeated 
Joseph  Gillispie,  Republican;  John  A.  Logan,  Democrat,  of  Benton, 
defeated  David  T.  Linegar,  Republican.  In  this  ninth  district  Logan  re- 
ceived 20,863  votes  while  Linegar  received  5,207.  There  were  165  votes 
scattering.  This  would  make  a  total  vote  on  congressman  of  26.229  while 
the  total  vote  for  the  four  candidates  for  president  as  shown  below  was 
28,172,  showing  1,943  voters  failed  to  vote  for  congressman. 

PRESIDENTIAL  VOTE  (1860)  IN  LOGAN'S  DISTRICT 

The  following  vote  by  counties,  in  Logan's  district,  November  6, 
1860,  will  be  of  interest: 

Ninth  Cong.  Dist.                       Lincoln  Douglas  Bell       Breckinridge 

Alexander    106  684  178  79 

Edwards    580  *  370  16 

Franklin 228  1391  75  5 

Gallatin    221  1020  88  13 

Hamilton    102  1553  99 

Hardin    107  499  62 

Jackson    315  1556  147  29 

Johnson    40  1563  9 

Massac    121  873  84 

Perry   649  1101  138  1 

Pope    127  1202  83  1 

Pulaski    220  550  45  40 

Saline    100  1338  113  15 

314 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  315 

Ninth  Cong.  Dist.                     Lincoln  Douglas  Bell      Breckinridge 

Union    157  996  58  819 

Wabash   597  710  22  1 

Wayne   620  1645  48  5 

Williamson   173  1835  166  40 

White    .  756  1544  38  5 


5,219       20,430         1,461  1,062 

The  votes  shown  above  indicate  clearly  that  Southern  Illinois  was 
strongly  Democratic  in  the  fall  of  1860.  John  A.  Logan  who  was  elected 
in  November,  1860,  had  served  one  term  in  congress.  He  was  deservedly 
popular  throughout  all  Southern  Illinois.  He  stood  by  Douglas  in  and 
out  of  congress.  In  the  short  session  of  the  congress  commencing  Decem- 
ber 1860,  Logan  was  a  prominent  figure.  He  heartily  supported  the  Crit- 
tenden  Compromise  and  every  way  in  his  power  attempted  to  prevent 
secession.  In  the  house  on  February  5,  1861,  Mr.  Logan  said:  "I  will 
go  as  far  as  any  man  in  the  performance  of  a  constitutional  duty,  to  put 
down  rebellion,  to  suppress  insurrection  and  to  enforce  the  laws ;  .  .  . 
Sir,  I  have  always  denied,  and  do  yet  deny,  the  right  of  secession.  There 
is  no  warrant  for  it  in  the  constitution.  It  is  wrong,  it  is  unlawful,  un- 
constitutional, and  should  be  called  by  the  right  name,  Revolution. 
.  .  .  I  would,  today,  if  I  had  the  power,  sink  my  own  party,  and  every 
other  one,  with  all  their  platforms,  into  the  vortex  of  ruin,  without  heav- 
ing a  sigh  or  shedding  a  tear,  to  save  the  Union,  or  even  stop  the  Rebellion 
where  it  is. ' ' 

The  session  ended  past  midnight  of  the  3d  of  March,  1861,  with  no 
settlement  in  sight.  Lincoln  was  inaugurated  the  next  day.  Shortly  the 
public  men  scattered  to  their  homes.  The  secession  movement  grew. 
Fort  Sumter  was  reduced  and  on  April  15th  Lincoln  called  for  75,000 
troops  and  asked  congress  to  assemble  in  special  session  July  4th.  Illi- 
nois was  all  military  activity.  The  regiment  known  afterwards  as  the 
Twenty-first  was  in  camp  at  Springfield  and  was  soon  to  be  mustered 
in  as  United  States  troops,  having  at  first  been  mustered  in  as  state 
troops  for  thirty  days.  General  Grant  in  his  Memoirs  says  that  two  con- 
gressmen, Logan  and  McClernand  came  to  Springfield  about  the  middle 
of  June  and  addressed  his  regiment.  Grant  says  he  had  heard  much  of 
Logan  but  had  not  known  him  personally.  "His  district  had  been  set- 
tled originally  by  people  from  the  southern  states,  and  at  the  outbreak 
of  secession  they  sympathized  with  the  south.  .  .  .  Some  of  them 
joined  the  southern  army ;  many  were  preparing  to  do  so ;  others  rode 
over  the  country  at  night  denouncing  the  Union,  and  made  it  as  necessary 
to  guard  railroad  bridges  over  which  national  troops  had  to  pass  in 
Southern  Illinois  at  it  was  in  Kentucky.  .  .  .  Logan's  popularity 
was  unbounded.  I  had  some  doubt  as  to  the  effect  a  speech  from  Logan 
might  have,  but  as  he  was  with  McClernand  whose  sentiments  on  the  all 
absorbing  questions  of  the  day  were  well  known  I  gave  my  consent.  Mc- 
Clernand spoke  first;  Logan  followed  in  a  speech  which  he  has  hardly 
equaled  since,  for  force  and  eloquence.  It  breathed  a  loyalty  and  devotion 
to  the  union  which  inspired  my  men  to  such  a  point  that  they  would 
have  volunteered  to  remain  in  the  army  as  long  as  an  enemy  of  the 
country  continued  to  bear  arms  against  it." 


316 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 
LOGAN  IN  CONGRESS  AND  THE  FIELD 


Logan  attended  the  special  session  of  congress,  and  fought  in  the 
battle  of  Manassas  Junction  on  July  21,  1861.  Gen.  Anson  G.  Mc- 
Cook  in  describing  the  battle  of  Bull  Run  said  two  men  were  in  citi- 
zen's clothes.  One  was  his  uncle  Daniel  McCook,  and  the  other  was 
John  A.  Logan.  Logan  had  a  gun  and  when  not  assisting  the  wounded 
was  firing.  He  said  Logan  wore  a  silk  hat.  After  the  battle  Logan 
returned  to  the  capital  and  telegraphed  to  John  H.  White,  later  lieu- 
tenant colonel  of  the  Thirty-first  regiment,  to  proceed  immediately  to 
raise  troops. 

Logan  returned  from  the  special  session  about  the  15th  of  August. 
His  wife  drove  from  Marion  to  meet  him  at  Carbondale,  the  nearest 


GENERAL  JOHN  A.  LOGAN 

railroad  station.  On  his  arrival  in  Marion  great  crowds  of  former 
friends  were  gathered.  They  were  angry,  desperate.  They  sympathized 
with  the  secessionists.  Logan  spoke  from  a  wagon  and  soon  converted  the 
mob  to  friends  for  the  Union.  He  headed  a  drum  and  fife  procession  and 
enough  men  came  forward  to  make  Company  C  of  the  Twenty-first 
regiment.  From  this  time  forward  the  tide  turned  greatly  for  the  Union. 
However,  not  all  the  people  of  Southern  Illinois  were  enlisted  on  the  side 
of  the  Union  as  we  shall  show. 


STATE  CONVENTIONS  AND  ASSEMBLIES 

In  January,  1861,  a  Democratic  state  convention  met  at  Spring- 
field to  give  expression  to  the  desire  of  the  people  for  peace.  Zadock 
Casey  of  Mt.  Vernon  presided.  Mr.  Casey  was  lieutenant  governor  in 
the  stormy  nullification  days  and  presided  over  the  senate  when  Jack- 
son's policy  of  coercion  was  heartly  endorsed — "That  disunion  by 
armed  force  is  treason,  and  should  be  treated  as  such  by  the  constituted 
authorities  of  the  nation."  Now  Mr.  Casey's  convention  believed: 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  317 

"That  the  perilous  condition  of  the  country  had  been  produced  by  the 
agitation  of  the  slavery  question,  creating  discord  and  enmity  be- 
tween the  different  sections,  which  had  been  aggravated  by  the  election 
of  a  sectional  President." 

The  Republicans  carried  both  branches  of  the  legislature  in  the  elec- 
tion of  1860.  But  in  the  election  of  1862  the  Democrats  carried  both 
branches  of  the  general  assembly.  From  Southern  Illinois  the  sena- 
tors were — William  H.  Green,  Massac  county;  Hugh  Greeg,  William- 
son ;  I.  Blanchard,  Jackson ;  J.  M.  Rogers,  Clinton ;  W.  H.  Underwood, 
St.  Clair;  S.  Moffat,  Effingham.  The  representatives  from  Southern 
Illinois  were — James  H.  Smith,  Union ;  T.  B.  Hicks,  Massac ;  James  B. 
Turner,  Gallatin;  James  W.  Sharp,  Wabash;  H.  M.  Williams,  Jeffer- 
son ;  J.  M.  Washburn,  Williamson ;  Jesse  R.  Ford,  Clinton ;  S.  W.  Miles, 
Monroe;  E.  Menard,  Randolph;  J.  W.  Merritt,  Marion;  James  M.  Heard, 
Wayne;  D.  W.  Odell,  Crawford;  J.  W.  Wescott,  Clay;  R.  H.  McCann, 
Fayette;  C.  L.  Conger,  White;  J.  B.  Underwood,  St.  Clair;  J.  B.  Thomas, 
St.  Clair;  S.  A.  Buckmaster,  Madison;  William  Watkins,  Bond;  P. 
Dougherty,  Clark. 

The  sittings  of  this  general  assembly  were  stormy  indeed.  The  Dem- 
ocrats presented  a  set  of  whereases  in  which  they  affirmed  that  "The 
allegiance  of  citizens  is  due  alone  to  the  constitution  and  laws  made  in 
pursuance  thereof — not  to  any  man,  or  officer,  or  administration — and 
whatever  support  is  due  to  any  officer  of  this  government,  is  due  alone 
by  virtue  of  the  constitution  and  laws."  Another  resolution  read  as 
follows :  ' '  Resolved,  That  we  believe  the  further  prosecution  of  the  pres- 
ent war  can  not  result  in  the  restoration  of  the  Union  and  the  preserva- 
tion of  the  constitution,  as  our  fathers  made  it,  unless  the  President's 
Emancipation  Proclamation  be  withdrawn."  The  Republican  minor- 
ity resolved  that — "it  is  the  duty  of  all  good  citizens  cordially  to  sup- 
port the  national  and  state  administrations,  and  that  we  hereby  offer 
to  the  administration  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  President  of  the  United 
States,  and  Richard  Yates,  governor  of  the  state  of  Illinois,  our  earnest 
and  cordial  support  in  the  efforts  of  their  respective  administrations  to 
put  down  the  present  most  infamous  rebellion."  The  two  houses  quar- 
reled about  the  date  of  adjournment  and  the  governor  prorogued  the 
legislature. 

KNIGHTS  OP  THE  GOLDEN  CIRCLE 

The  Ohio  river  from  a  few  miles  below  Pittsburg  to  Cairo  was  the 
dividing  line  between  freedom  on  the  north  and  west  and  slavery  on 
the  south  and  east.  West  Virginia  (then  a  part  of  "Old  Virginia") 
and  Kentucky  were  slave  states  and  Ohio,  Indiana,  and  Illinois  were 
free  states.  All  three  of  these  free  states  had  been  settled  in  an  early 
day  largely  from  slave  states.  Southern  Illinois  was  almost  wholly  set- 
tled, up  to  the  Civil  war,  from  the  older  slave  states.  And  while  some  of 
these  people  moved  out  of  the  slave  states  to  get  away  from  slavery 
very  many  sympathized  with  the  southern  people.  It  was  not  to  be  ex- 
pected therefore  to  find  the  south  half  of  Ohio,  Indiana,  and  Illinois 
enthusiastic  for  the  prosecution  of  the  war.  It  was  easy  for  the  seces- 
sionists to  come  out  of  the  states  of  Tennessee,  Kentucky,  and  Virginia 
and  find  in  Southern  Illinois  enthusiastic  sympathizers. 

The  first  two  years  of  the  war  were  not  successfully  prosecuted.    Be- 


318  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

yond  the  capture  of  forts  Henry  and  Donelson,  and  the  victory  of  Pitts- 
burg  Landing,  the  government  had  no  substantial  fruit  as  the  result  of 
the  war.  This  accounts  for  Illinois  going  Democratic  in  the  fall  of  1862. 
The  issuing  of  the  Emancipation  Proclamation  alienated  from  the  sup- 
port of  the  government  many  good  citizens  and  influential  leaders.  Now 
while  these  good  citizens  could  not  openly  oppose  the  prosecution  of  the 
war,  they  desired  in  some  way  to  exert  an  influence  looking  toward  the 
cessation  of  hostilities  and  the  restoration  of  "peace  at  any  price."  To 
meet  the  need  of  organized  effort  there  was  brought  forward  semi-mili- 
tary secret  societies  that  assumed  a  number  of  names.  The  first  organ- 
ization was  known  as  the  Circle  of  Honor.  Later  the  name  changed  to 
Knights  of  the  Golden  Circle,  and  still  later  to  the  Order  of  American 
Knights,  and  finally  to  the  Order  of  Sons  of  Liberty. 

It  was  the  Knights  of  the  Golden  Circle  mainly  which  was  organ- 
ized in  Southern  Illinois,  and  later  the  order  was  known  as  the  Sons 
of  Liberty.  Quite  a  little  of  the  information  furnished  the  government 
relative  to  this  organization  was  obtained  by  Felix  G.  S.tidger,  a  United 
States  government  secret  service  agent,  who  was  in  1864  grand  secre- 
tary of  the  order  of  Sons  of  Liberty  in  the  state  of  Kentucky.  Mr. 
Stidger  made  a  full  report  to  the  secret  service  department  of  the  gov- 
ernment and  it  is  incorporated  in  the  report  of  Judge  Advocate  Gen- 
eral J.  Holt,  to  the  department  of  war  on  October  8,  1864.  In  addition 
to  this  government  report  Mr.  Stidger,  in  1903,  after  the  passions  of 
the  war  had  subsided,  wrote  a  full  and  complete  history  of  his  connec- 
tion with  the  order.  The  organization  was  as  follows:  (1)  A  supreme 
council,  whose  officers  were  supreme  commander,  secretary  of  state, 
and  a  treasurer.  (2)  A  grand  council,  whose  officers  were  a  grand 
commander,  deputy  grand  commander,  grand  secretary,  and  grand 
treasurer.  (3)  County  parent  temples:  the  officers  were  commander, 
secretary,  and  treasurer.  There  was  a  military  department  in  connec- 
tion with  the  organization.  The  supreme  commander  was  commander 
in  chief;  grand  commanders  were  commanders  of  the  forces  of  their 
respective  states.  There  were  four  major  generals  for  a  state,  and 
each  congressional  district  was  under  a  brigadier  general.  The  county 
was  under  a  colonel,  and  the  forces  of  a  township  were  under  a  captain. 
The  writer  remembers  very  distinctly  as  a  school  boy.  being  in  the  home 
of  a  schoolmate  when  an  older  brother  of  the  schoolmate  arrived  from 
Alton  with  a  one-horse  buggy  full  of  revolvers.  They  were  encased  in 
black  leather  with  belt  attached.  It  was  a  great  privilege  of  the  two 
boys  to  take  the  revolvers  from  the  buggy  and  assist  in  carrying  them 
into  the  house.  He  remembers  also  that  one  of  the  "Knights"  was 
later  captured  by  soldiers  and  lodged  in  a  prison  at  Springfield  along 
with  five  other  brothers.  Here  the  "Knight"  died  and  the  body  was 
returned  to  the  home  for  burial.  We  all  went  to  the  funeral  and  as 
we  trudged  along  the  side  of  the  procession,  the  "Knights"  to  the 
number  of  thirty  or  more  rode  with  military  order  behind  the  hearse, 
their  revolvers  in  their  black  leather  cases  buckled  to  their  waists. 

It  is  now  half  a  century  since  those  troublous  times,  and  it  is  with 
difficulty  that  one  can  get  first  hand  information  concerning  the  or- 
ganization known  as  the  Knights  of  the  Golden  Circle.  Personal  cor- 
respondence with  responsible  people  in  the  several  counties  has  revealed 
the  fact  that  the  order  was  in  a  flourishing  condition  in  most  of  the 
counties  in  southern  Illinois.  We  append  a  few  of  these  replies,  omit- 
ting names. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  319 

Saline  county:  "The  order  existed  here  during  the  Civil  war. 
Members  were  not  numerous,  and  while  threats  of  violence  were  made 
against  strong  union  men,  they  lacked  the  leadership  and  courage  to 
put  their  threats  into  execution.  These  Knights  went  to  the  home  of 
a  Mr.  Jobe,  a  discharged  soldier,  to  order  him  to  leave  the  country.  He 
was  sick  in  bed,  but  calling  for  his  gun  he  told  them  to  come  into  his 
house  at  their  peril.  At  this  day  most  of  the  members  of  this  order 
are  either  dead  or  ashamed  they  ever  belonged  to  it.  In  either  case  one 
can  not  get  personal  information.  Judge  Duff,  who  was  arrested  in 
Marion  in  the  fall  of  1862,  was  held  as  a  prisoner  in  Washington  for 
three  months.  In  March,  1863,  while  holding  court  in  Harrisburg  he 
delivered  a  great  tirade  on  "Arbitrary  Arrest  by  the  Federal  Gov- 
ernment." That  was  "Black  Monday"  for  loyal  union  men  of  Saline 
county.  The  Union  League  was  organized  in  Saline  county  in  several 
places,  and  its  influence  had  a  salutary  effect  upon  Copperheadism. " 

Cumberland  county:  "The  Knights  of  the  Golden  Circle  was  or- 
ganized in  this  county,  but  it  is  difficult  to  get  reliable  information. ' ' 

Richland  county:  "Those  who  sympathized  with  the  south  were 
mustering  in  different  sections  of  the  county,  and  even  made  an  at- 
tempt to  raid  the  provost-marshal's  office  in  Olney,  to  get  the  draft 
papers.  Colonel  0  'Kane,  who  was  provost-marshal,  wired  Governor  Dick 
Yates,  and  a  company  of  soldiers  were  sent  to  protect  the  office  and  re- 
store order  generally." 

Crawford  county:  "While  teaching  at  'Big  Brick'  (District  No. 
58),  some  years  ago,  I  was  told  that  the  forty  acres  on  which  the  school 
house  is  located,  a  beautiful  level  piece  of  land,  was  used  as  a  drill 
ground  by  the  Knights  of  the  Golden  Circle  during  the  war.  There 
were  those  who  watched  them  from  a  distance  on  moonlight  nights." 

Monroe  county:  "Yes,  there  were  Knights  of  the  Golden  Circle  in 
this  county,  but  I  know  nothing  about  them  except  they  were  rebels 
at  heart  and  secret  enemies  of  the  flag. ' ' 

Pope  county:  "I  did  not  know  of  any  in  this  county.  I  knew  of 
Golden  Circles  in  Kentucky.  Its  purpose  was  to  oppose  the  Union. 
Members  of  this  order  abused  union  men  who  would  not  join  them. 
Families  of  unionists  who  went  to  war  were  ill  treated  by  this  order." 

Wabash  county:  "Yes,  the  Knights  of  the  Golden  Circle  was  or- 
ganized in  this  county.  There  was  lots  of  them.  The  purpose  of  them 
was  to  preserve  the  peace  in  their  vicinity,  and  protect  their  homes, 
let  the  invasion  come  from  any  source  or  place.  They  did  not  want  to 
go  to  the  war  unless  drafted,  and  then  they  had  secret  signs  that  might 
save  them  from  death,  if  they  were  taken  prisoners  in  the  war.  It 
was  not  of  much  use  here,  as  we  had  no  trouble  in  our  county.  I  proba- 
bly know  something  about  it,  for  I  organized  about  two  hundred  of 
them  in  our  county  (he  probably  means  200  members),  and  Lawrence 
county.  We  never  did  any  harm  to  anybody,  and  when  the  war  was 
over,  the  organization  died  a  natural  death." 

Perry  county:  "Yes,  the  Golden  Circle  was  organized  in  Perry 
county.  Some  of  the  members  lived  in  Tamaroa." 

Richland  county:  "No.  Richland  county  was  loyal  to  the  union. 
However,  just  across  in  Edwards  to  the  south,  and  in  Jasper  at  the 
north,  they  had  this  order.  Its  object  was  to  discourage  enlistments, 
aid  and  abetting  the  south.  The  Union  League  was  for  exactly  the  op- 
posite purpose.  There  was  never  a  draft  on  Richland.  She  was  al- 


320  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

ways  ahead  on  her  quota.  Company  E,  Eleventh  Missouri  Volunteer 
Infantry  was  the  result  of  the  worked-off  surplus  from  this  county.  Just 
across  in  Edwards  county  the  enlistments  were  few,  as  they  were  de- 
scendants of  southern  families,  and  were  in  sympathy  with  their  cause. 
A  draft  was  run  on  this  precinct  (in  Edwards  county)  and  as  the  office 
of  Provost-Marshal  O'Kane  was  in  Olney  and  as  he  held  the  list  of 
names  drawn,  it  was  the  plan  of  the  Knights  to  move  upon  Olney, 
seize  the  list,  and  burn  it,  destroying  Olney  if  necessary  to  accomplish 
their  plans.  The  Jasper  Knights  were  to  march  from  the  north  and 
assist.  Perhaps,  sometime  late  in  the  fall  of  '64,  they  astonished  the 
citizens  of  the  county  by  riding  in  squads  bearing  arms,  and  near  Ol- 
ney they  had  assembled.  The  Union  Leaguers  occupied  the  town  and 
the  unarmed  citizens  were  supplied  from  the  hardware  stores  as  the 
report  had  gone  out  that  the  city  was  to  be  burned.  When  all  was  in 
readiness,  the  sheriff  went  out  to  the  Knights  and  commanded  them  to 
disband  and  to  return  to  their  respective  homes  or  he  would  be  com- 
pelled to  scatter  them  by  force  of  arms.  Sentinels  and  pickets  were 
stationed  and  no  one  could  enter  Olney  that  night  without  the  pass- 
word. The  Knights  began  to  disperse  and  long  before  morning  were 
gone.  This  is  the  nearest  we  came  of  having  trouble  during  the  exist- 
ence of  the  Knights  of  the  Golden  Circle." 

Effingham  county:  "There  were  no  Knights  of  the  Golden  Circle 
in  this  county,  but  in  our  neighboring  county  of  Marion  a  certain  prom- 
inent judge  was  said  to  be  high  priest  in  that  order." 

Williamson  county:  Perhaps  the  local  history  of  no  county  rela- 
tive to  the  political  situation  in  1861-5  has  been  more  carefully  pre- 
served than  it  has  in  Williamson  county.  The  facts  recorded  below 
are  taken  from  a  small  history  of  Williamson  county  written  by  Hon. 
Milo  Erwin  in  1876  when  every  fact  enumerated  could  be  easily  sub- 
stantiated. Mr.  Erwin  says  John  A.  Logan  sympathized  with  the 
south,  but  early  openly  declared  for  the  Union.  Secession  was  openly 
talked  up  to  the  firing  on  Port  Sumter.  In  Marion,  just  following  the 
firing  on  Fort  Sumter,  a  dozen  or  more  men  congregated  in  a  saloon 
and  while  there  called  a  meeting  far  the  purpose  of  considering  an 
ordinance  of  secession.  The  meeting  was  held  in  the  courthouse  April 
15,  1861,  with  the  avowed  purpose  of  providing  for  the  "public 
safety."  James  Manier  was  president.  G.  W.  Goddard,  James  M. 
Washburn,  Henry  C.  Hooper,  John  M.  Cunningham  (father-in-law  of 
John  A.  Logan),  and  Wm.  R.  Scurlock  constituted  a  committee  who 
drafted  the  following  resolutions  which  were  adopted : 

"Resolved,  That  we,  the  citizens  of  Williamson  county,  firmly  be- 
lieving, from  the  distracted  condition  of  our  country — the  same  being 
brought  about  by  the  elevation  to  power  of  a  strictly  sectional  party, 
the  coercive  policy  of  which  toward  the  seceded  states  will  drive  all 
the  border  slave  states  from  the  Federal  Union,  and  cause  them  to  gain 
the  Southern  Confederacy. 

"Resolved,  That,  in  that  event,  the  interests  of  the  citizens  of 
southern  Illinois  imperatively  demands  at  their  hands  a  division  of  the 
state.  We  hereby  pledge  ourselves  to  use  all  means  in  our  power  to 
effect  the  same,  and  attach  ourselves  to  the  Southern  Confederacy. 

"Resolved,  That,  in  our  opinion,  it  is  the  duty  of  the  present  ad- 
ministration to  withdraw  all  the  troops  of  the  Federal  government 
that  may  be  stationed  in  southern  forts,  and  acknowledge  the  inde- 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  321 

pendence  of  the  Southern  Confederacy,  believing  that  such  a  course 
would  be  calculated  to  restore  peace  and  harmony  to  our  distracted 
country. 

"Resolved,  That  in  view  of  the  fact  that  it  is  probable  that  the 
present  governor  of  the  state  of  Illinois  will  call  upon  citizens  of  the 
same  to  take  up  arms  for  the  purpose  of  subjugating  the  people  of  the 
south,  we  hereby  enter  our  protest  against  such  a  course,  and,  as  loyal 
citizens,  will  refuse,  frown  down,  and  forever  oppose  the  same." 

By  the  morning  of  the  16th,  General  Prentiss  at  Cairo  knew  of 
these  treasonable  resolutions.  J.  M.  Campbell  of  Carbondale  went  to 
Marion  on  the  16th  and  persuaded  the  people  to  revoke  the  resolu- 
tions. Judge  W.  J.  Allen  was  instrumental  in  getting  the  resolutions 
repealed.  Mr.  A.  T.  Benson  carried  the  action  of  the  repealing  conven- 
tion to  General  Prentiss.  The  resolutions  were  not  revoked  by  the 
same  men  who  passed  them,  and  so  the  original  convention  men  held 
another  meeting  on  the  27th  of  April,  moved  to  "seize  the  money  in 
the  hands  of  the  sheriff  to  defray  the  expenses  of  arming  and  equip- 
ping soldiers  for  the  southern  army."  The  resolution  or  motion  did 
not  carry. 

Shortly  after,  a  considerable  army  collected  in  Marion  for  the  pur- 
pose of  dislodging  and  driving  away  a  company  of  soldiers  stationed 
at  the  bridge  across  Big  Muddy  just  north  of  Carbondale.  The  army 
marched  to  Carbondale  where  they  were  joined  by  southern  sympa- 
thizers from  that  locality.  They  sent  a  reconnoitering  party  to  the 
bridge  and  upon  discovering  the  garrison  and  their  cannon  returned 
and  persuaded  the  crowd  that  the  undertaking  was  hazardous.  While 
the  crowd  was  still  in  Carbondale,  a  train  for  the  Big  Muddy  bridge 
came  through  with  a  company  of  soldiers  and  artillery  and  the  project 
of  attacking  the  soldiers  was  abandoned. 

It  is  said  that  John  A.  Logan,  Geo.  W.  Goddard,  John  H.  "White, 
and  John  M.  Cunningham,  all  of  Marion,  entered  into  a  secret  agree- 
ment to  stand  by  the  Union.  White  was  county  clerk  and  Goddard  was 
circuit  clerk.  It  was  agreed  for  Logan  to  go  to  the  special  session  of 
congress,  and  after  his  return  a  regiment  was  to  be  raised.  Logan  was 
to  be  colonel,  White  was  to  be  lieutenant  colonel,  Goddard  captain,  and 
Cunningham  was  to  stay  home  and  take  care  of  the  two  clerkships. 
This  programme  was  practically  carried  out. 

In  May,  1861,  Colonel  Brooks  and  Harvey  Hayes  raised  in  Wil- 
liamson county  a  company  and  made  their  way  to  Paducah,  where  they 
joined  the  southern  army.  There  were  probably  fifty  or  sixty  men  in 
the  company. 

The  Golden  Circle  was  in  a  prosperous  condition  in  this  county  in 
the  years  1862  to  1864. 

"THE.  AMERICAN  BASTILE" 

This  is  a  history  of  the  arrests  and  imprisonments  of  citizens  of  the 
United  States  during  the  Civil  war.  The  book  was  written  by  John  A. 
Marshall.  In  this  book  there  are  accounts  of  one  hundred  alleged 
illegal  arrests.  It  should  be  stated  that  these  accounts  refer  only  to 
arrests  of  noted  citizens  in  various  parts  of  the  United  States.  Twelve 
of  these  arrests  were  made  in  Illinois,  and  four  of  the  twelve  were 
made  in  southern  Illinois. 


322  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

In  August,  1862,  Dr.  Israel  Blanchard,  who  was  riding  in  the 
streets  of  Carbondale,  was  arrested,  taken  to  Big  Muddy  bridge,  and 
thence  to  Cairo,  where  he  was  turned  over  to  General  Prentiss.  The 
charges  according  to  the  history  were  that  he  had  spoken  disrespect- 
fully of  Lincoln,  had  discouraged  enlistments,  and  attempted  to  raise 
a  company  to  burn  Big  Muddy  bridge.  General  Prentiss  sent  him  to 
Springfield  and  from  there  in  company  with  a  number  of  similar  of- 
fenders he  was  sent  to  Washington,  where  he  lay  in  the  Old  Capitol 
prison  for  six  weeks.  He  was  eventually  set  free,  and  in  1863  was 
elected  to  the  state  senate  by  the  Democratic  party  by  a  majority  of 
3,000. 

Judge  A.  D.  Duff,  of  Franklin  county,  was  arrested  by  Federal 
secret  service  men  while  holding  circuit  court  in  Marion,  Williamson 
county,  August  15, 1862.  With  him  were  arrested  Wm.  J.  Allen,  mem- 
ber of  congress ;  John  A.  Clemenson,  state 's  attorney,  and  others.  Judge 
Duff  was  taken  to  Washington  and  confined  in  the  Old  Capitol  prison. 
He,  too,  was  later  released. 

H.  W.  Newland,  a  prominent  farmer  living  near  Benton,  was  ar- 
rested in  August  and  hurried  to  Washington  in  company  with  eight 
or  ten  others.  All  these  persons  were  required  to  take  the  oath  of 
allegiance  and  promise  good  behavior. 

Another  prominent  citizen,  Mr.  Walter  S.  Hawks,  of  Tarnaroa, 
Perry  county,  was  among  the  unfortunates.  It  is  generally  charged  by 
the  friends  of  these  men  who  were  arrested  that  they  were  informed 
on  by  members  of  the  order  called  the  Union  League. 

SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  IN  CAMP  AND  IN  BATTLE 

The  political  campaign  of  1860  was  a  memorable  one.  Abraham 
Lincoln  was  elected  president  and  Richard  Yates,  governor  of  Illinois. 
Governor  Yates  was  inaugurated  January  14,  1861.  Lincoln  was  sworn 
in  March  4th.  Fort  Sumter  was  fired  on  April  12th,  and  on  Monday 
the  15th  the  president  called  for  75,000  troops.  Mr.  Lincoln  knew 
Governor  Yates  and  he  felt  he  could  rely  upon  him  in  this  hour  of  trial. 
On  the  evening  of  the  15th  of  April  the  following  telegram  was  sent 
from  Washington  to  the  governor  of  Illinois: 

• 

"Washington,  April  15,  1861.  His  Excellency  Richard  Yates :  Call 
made  on  you  by  tonight's  mail  for  six  regiments  of  militia,  for  imme- 
diate service.  SIMON  CAMERON.  ' ' 

This  call  for  six  regiments  of  militia  presupposed  the  existence  of 
an  organized  militia  from  which  the  six  regiments  might  be  detached. 
There  were  few  well  organized  companies  of  militia  in  Illinois  at  that 
time.  The  arsenal  at  Springfield  was  empty,  with  the  exception  of  less 
than  500  unserviceable  guns,  pistols,  etc.  There  were  some  guns  in  the 
hands  of  the  militia,  but  none  were  modern  or  in  good  condition. 
There  were  some  independent  organizations  over  the  state  .both  of  in- 
fantry and  artillery. 

The  adjutant  general  of  Illinois  issued  a  call  for  volunteers,  and  by 
April  17th,  10,000  loyal  sons  had  responded,  and  had  offered  their  serv- 
ices for  the  maintenance  of  the  nation's  honor.  On  the  19th  the  fol- 
lowing dispatch  was  received  at  Springfield: 


----- 


By  courtesy  of  Judge  John  M.  Lansden 


GEN.  GRANT  AND  GEN.  MCCLELLAN  IN  CAIRO  IN  1861 


324  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

"Washington,  April  19,  1861.  Governor  Yates:  As  soon  as  enough 
of  your  troops  are  mustered  into  the  service,  send  a  brigadier  general, 
with  lour  regiments  at  or  near  Grand  Cairo. 

" SIMON  CAMERON,  Secretary  of  War." 

Governor  Yates  sent  a  telegram  to  General  Swift  at  Chicago  to  be 
ready  at  a  moment's  notice.  The  Illinois  Central  received  word  that 
the  Big  Muddy  bridge  was  threatened,  and  the  railroad  company  was 
anxious  for  its  safety.  At  11  p.  m.  on  Sunday  the  21st,  General  Swift 
with  600  men  started  for  Cairo.  The  next  day  400  more  troops  were 
dispatched.  General  Swift  left  Company  A,  Capt.  J.  R.  Hayden  com- 
manding, at  the  Big  Muddy  bridge.  There  were  a  company  of  the  fa- 
mous Zouave  regiment.  The  rest  of  the  brigade  reached  Cairo  the 
night  of  the  22nd.  Later  another  company,  Captain  Claybourne  in 
charge,  was  sent  to  Big  Muddy. 

Colonel  B.  M.  Prentiss  reached  Cairo  on  the  24th  of  April.  He 
took  command.  Shortly  boats  began  moving  south  with  munitions  of 
war  from  St.  Louis.  These  were  all  halted  and  their  cargoes  confis- 
cated. As  fast  as  regiments  were  raised  they  were  hastened  forward 
to  Cairo  and  that  city  became  a  veritable  military  camp.  Capt.  John 
Pope,  a  West  Point  graduate  and  son  of  Nathaniel  Pope,  was  busily 
engaged  in  mustering  in  and  forwarding  these  troops.  The  colonels  of 
the  first  six  regiments  were: 

Seventh  regiment,  Col.  John  Cook,  Springfield. 
Eighth  regiment,  Col.  Richard  J.  Oglesby,  Decatur. 
Ninth  regiment,  Col.  Eleazer  A.  Paine,  Monmouth. 
Tenth  regiment,  Col.  James  D.  Morgan,  Quincy. 
Eleventh  regiment,  Col.  W.  H.  L.  Wallace.  Ottawa. 
Twelfth  regiment,  Col.  John  McArthur,  Chicago. 
Only  one  of  these  colonels  was  a  southern  Illinois  man — Col.  John 
Cook  was  a  son  of  Daniel  P.  Cook  and  grandson  of  Gov.  Ninian  Ed- 
wards.    He  was  brought  up   in   Edwardsville,   but  had,   previous  to 
1855,  settled  in  Springfield. 

General  Grant  assumed  command  at  Cairo,  September  4,  1861,  and 
immediately  began  to  spread  his  army  out  over  Missouri,  Kentucky, 
and  southern  Illinois.  Troops  were  stationed  up  the  river  between 
Cairo  and  Thebes,  at  Villa  Ridge,  Mound  City,  and  at  Shawneetown. 
During  the  summer  of  1861  the  government  was  active  in  preparing  a 
river  fleet  of  gunboats.  Mound  City,  in  Pulaski  county,  became  an 
important  ship-building  point.  Ordinary  river  steamboats  were  recon- 
structed in  such  a  way  as  to  present  a  very  formidable  appearance. 
Capt.  James  B.  Eads  was  building  gunboats  at  Carondelet,  near  St. 
Louis,  and  he  also  had  in  charge  the  shipyard  at  Mound  City.  These 
gunboats  formed  Commodore  Foote's  river  fleet.  Some  of  these  ves- 
sels were  the  Cincinnati,  the  Essex,  the  Carondelet,  the  Tyler,  the  St. 
Louis,  the  Louisville,  the  Pittsburg,  the  Connestoga  and  the  Lexing- 
ton. These  were  all  more  or  less  completely  armored.  The  method  of 
placing  the  armor  differed  in  different  vessels.  In  addition  there  were 
scores  of  transports,  which  were  ordinary  river  steamers  equipped  for 
carrying  men  and  supplies.  This  fleet  of  gunboats,  transports,  dispatch 
boats,  hospital  boats,  and  other  river  craft  served  General  Grant  ad- 
mirably in  the  battles  of  Belmont,  Fort  Henry,  Fort  Donelson,  and 
Pittsburg  Landing. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


325 


During  the  entire  period  of  the  war  Cairo  was  an  important  place 
from  a  military  point  of  view.  Large  sums  of  money  were  disbursed 
here  and  in  Mound  City.  Wm.  McHale,  recently  deceased,  for  many 


By  courtesy  of  Jud^e  John  M.  Laneden 

RIVER  GUNBOATS  AT  CAIRO  IN  1861 

years  superintendent  of  the  wharf  at  Cairo,  told  the  author  that  he 
was  a  ship  carpenter  at  Cairo  and  at  Mound  City  during  the  war  and 
that  hundreds  of  men  were  employed  in  repairing  and  remodeling  the 
vessels  of  the  river  fleet.  He  pointed  out  an  old  mortar  boat  anchored 


326  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

on  the  wharf  at  Cairo,  which  is  the  only  war  time  water  craft  left 
about  Cairo. 

From  what  has  been  said  in  the  preceding  paragraphs,  it  will  be 
seen  that  the  northern  part  of  the  state  was  much  more  responsive  to 
the  call  of  the  government  for  troops  than  was  "Egypt."  There  was 
considerable  sympathy  with  southern  ideals  in  this  part  of  the  state. 
Mr.  Lincoln's  vote  in  the  thirty-five  southern  counties  was  very  light. 
The  majority  of  the  strong  politicians  were  Douglas  Democrats  or 
buchanau  Democrats.  Neither  the  President  nor  the  governor  looked 
for  much  help,  in  the  early  days  of  the  war,  from  Southern  Illinois. 
And  so  it  turned  out  that  many  thousands  of  the  early  enlistments 
were  from  the  central  and  northern  parts  of  the  state,  while  few 
troops  came  from  the  south  end. 

The  first  six  regiments  were  three  months'  men,  and  at  the  expira- 
tion of  their  term  of  enlistment  they  reenlisted  for  three  years  or  dur- 
ing the  war.  The  ninety-day  call  was  considered  entirely  of  a  tem- 
porary nature,  so  the  numbering  of  the  regiments  began  with  the  Sev- 
enth infantry.  The  enlistments  in  the  Mexican  war  were  numbered  up 
to  and  including  the  Sixth  regiment. 

We  give  below  the  regimental  organization  for  all  regiments  that 
were  wholly  or  partly  from  southern  Illinois. 

THREE  YEARS'  SERVICE 

Ninth  Infantry  Regiment — This  regiment  did  service  at  Cairo  as  a 
ninety-day  enlistment,  and  later  entered  the  three  years'  service.  The 
officers  were  as  follows :  Colonel,  Eleazer  A.  Paine,  Mercer  county ; 
lieutenant  colonel,  Augustus  Mersey,  Belleville ;  major,  Jesse  J.  Phil- 
lips, Hillsboro ;  adjutant,  Thos.  J.  Newsham,  Edwardsville. 

From  Cairo  this  regiment  was  sent  to  Paducah.  Was  in  campaign 
against  Forts  Henry  and  Donelson,  Nashville,  Shiloh,  Corinth  and  there- 
abouts, Decatur,  Athens  and  Huntsville.  At  the  expiration  of  enlist- 
ment the  veterans  and  others  were  consolidated  into  a  new  organiza- 
tion with  somewhat  different  officers  from  those  given  above. 

Tenth  Infantry  Regiment — This  was  the  brave  James  D.  Morgan's 
regiment.  It  contained  three  companies  that  were  almost  wholly 
Southern  Illinois  men.  These  were  Company  D,  Capt.  Samuel  T.  Ma- 
son, Alton ;  Company  I,  Morton  S.  McAtee,  Chester ;  and  Company  K, 
Capt.  George  C.  Lusk,  Edwardsville. 

The  regiment  reported  at  Cairo  April  16,  1861,  as  a  ninety-day  en- 
listment. From  Cairo  it  moved  to  points  south  and  southeast — New 
Madrid.  Corinth,  Nashville,  Chattanooga  and  the  March-to-the-Sea. 
Grand  Review  at  Washington. 

Eleventh  Infantry  Regiment — This  regiment  contained  some  South- 
ern Illinois  soldiers.  Companies  C,  E,  F  and  G  were  largely  Egyptians, 
the  captains  being  Geo.  C.  McKee,  Centralia;  Loyd  D.  Waddell.  Edge- 
wood  ;  Wm.  Boren,  and  Lucius  M.  Rose,  Effingham.  The  regiment 
was  stationed  at  Villa  Ridge,  a  few  miles  north  of  Cairo.  The  organi- 
zation suffered  severely  in  killed,  wounded,  missing  in  the  Forts  Don- 
elson-Henry  campaign.  Also  lost  heavily  at  Shiloh,  Corinth,  Holly 
Springs,  Moscow.  Mississippi  river.  General  Wallace,  General  Ram- 
son,  General  Atkins  were  at  different  times  regimental  officers. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  327 

,  -  • 

Twelfth  Infantry  Regiment — This  regiment  contained  one  Egyp- 
tian company — Company  G,  Capt.  Guy  C.  Ward,  DuQuoin.  Nearly 
all  this  company  came  from  Perry  county. 

Eighteenth  Infantry  Regiment — This  regiment  was  mustered  in  at 
Anna  June  30,  1861.  The  officers  were :  Colonel,  Michael  K.  Lawler, 
Equality ;  lieutenant  colonel,  Thos.  H.  Burgess,  DuQuoin ;  major, 
Samuel  Eaton,  — ;  adjutant,  Samuel  T.  Brush,  Carbondale. 

The  regiment  was  mustered  into  the  United  States  service  May  19, 
1861,  and  moved  as  follows:  Bird's  Point,  Mound  City,  Cape  Girar- 
deau,  Columbus,  Ky.,  Forts  Henry  and  Donelson,  Pittsburg  Landing, 
Corinth,  Jackson,  Tenn.,  Bolivar,  Near  Vicksburg.  Mustered  out  at 
Little  Rock.  Among  the  men  who  made  enviable  records  were  Col. 
Lawler,  Capt.  D.  H.  Brush,  Adjutant  Samuel  T.  Brush.  The  aggre- 
gate enlistment  was  2,043. 

Twenty-second  Infantry  Regiment — This  regiment  was  organized 
at  Belleville  May,  1861.  Mustered  in  at  Caseyville,  June  25,  1861. 
Officered  as  follows:  Colonel,  Henry  Dougherty,  Carlyle;  lieutenant 
colonel,  Harmon  E.  Hart,  Alton;  major,  Enadies  Probst,  Centralia; 
adjutant,  Robert  H.  Clift,  Alton. 

There  was  a  regimental  band  of  nineteen  pieces  under  the  leader- 
ship of  William  Shaffer. 

The  movements  were — Bird's  Point,  Belmont,  rear  of  Columbus, 
Sikeston,  Tiptonville,  Corinth,  Stone  River  (every  horse  in  the  regi- 
ment was  killed  in  battle  of  Stone  River),  Chickamauga,  Mission 
Ridge,  Knoxville,  Atlanta.  Mustered  out  at  Springfield,-  111.,  July  7, 
1864. 

Twenty-ninth  Infantry  Regiment — This  regiment  came  from  the 
counties  of  Gallatin,  Massac,  Pope,  Saline,  Hardin,  Williamson  and 
neighboring  counties.  Mustered  in  at  Camp  Butler,  August  19,  1861, 
with  officers  as  follows :  Colonel,  James  S.  Reardon,  Shawneetown ; 
lieutenant  colonel,  James  E.  Dunlap,  Jacksonville;  major,  Mason  Bray- 
man,  Springfield;  adjutant,  Aaron  R.  Stout,  Shawneetown. 

The  regiment  served  under  General  Oglesby  and  General  McCler- 
nand,  and  were  the  first  troops  to  enter  Fort  Henry  after  its  evacuation. 
Was  engaged  at  Shiloh,  Corinth,  and  was  surrendered  at  Holly 
Springs.  Later  was  at  Vicksburg,  Mobile,  etc.  Mustered  out  Novem- 
ber 28,  1865. 

Thirtieth  Infantry  Regiment — This  was  only  partly  a  southern  Illi- 
nois regiment.  Its  colonel  belonged  to  a  noted  Southern  Illinois  family. 
Colonel  Philip  B.  Fouke,  Belleville;  lieutenant  colonel,  Chas.  S.  Den- 
nis. Carlyle;  major,  Thos.  McClurken;  adjutant,  Geo.  A.  Bacon,  Car- 
lyle. 

The  regiment  moved  from  Camp  Butler  to  Cairo,  Forts  Henry  and 
Donelson,  Shiloh,  Corinth,  Vicksburg,  March  to  the  Sea,  Grand  Review. 
Mustered  out,  July  17,  1865. 

Thirty-first  Infantry  Regiment — This  regiment  had  the  distinction 
of  having  the  greatest  volunteer  soldier  the  world  has  ever  seen — Col. 
John  A.  Logan.  Mustered  in  September  18,  1861.  At  Cairo.  Belmont, 
Forts  Henry  and  Donelson,  Shiloh.  Corinth.  Vicksburg.  At  Vicksburg 
it  was  Logan's  division,  including  the  Thirty-first  that  had  the  distinc- 
tion of  blowing  up  Fort  Hill.  It  was  Logan's  troops  which  marched 
into  Vicksburg  on  the  4th  of  July,  1863,  and  hauled  down  the  Confed- 


328  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

erate  flag,  and  ran  up  the  stars  and  stripes.  The  Thirty-first  followed 
the  fortunes  of  Sherman  through  the  March  to  the  Sea  and  on  to  the 
Grand  Review  in  Washington. 

The  officers  were :  Colonel,  John  A.  Logan,  Marion ;  lieutenant  col- 
onel, John  H.  White,  Marion;  major,  Andrew  J.  Kuykendall,  Vienna; 
adjutant,  Chas.  H.  Capehart,  Washington,  D.  C. 

Thirty-eighth  Infantry  Regiment — This  regiment  had  three  com- 
panies that  were  almost  wholly  southern  Illinois  men  namely :  H,  cap- 
tain, Chas.  Yelton,  Newton;  I,  captain,  Charles  Churchill,  Albion;  K, 
captain,  William  C.  Harris,  Newton.  The  regimental  officers  were :  Col- 
onel, Wm.  P.  Carlin,  Carrollton;  lieutenant  colonel,  Mortimer  O'Kean, 
Newton;  major,  Daniel  H.  Gilmer,  Pittsfield;  adjutant,  Arthur  Lee 
Bailhache,  Springfield. 

Organized  at  Camp  Butler.  Thence  to  Pilot  Knob,  Corinth,  Louis- 
ville, Stone  River,  Atlanta  campaign,  returned  to  Nashville,  Franklin. 
Thence  to  Texas.  Mustered  out  in  Springfield,  December  31,  1865. 

Fortieth  Infantry  Regiment — The  Fortieth  was  enlisted  from  the 
counties  of  Franklin,  Hamilton,  Wayne,  White,  Wabash,  Marion,  Clay 
and  Fayette.  Mustered  in  at  Springfield,  August  10,  1861,  with  the  fol- 
lowing officers:  Colonel,  Stephen  G.  Hicks,  Salem;  lieutenant  colonel, 
James  H.  Boothe,  Kinmundy ;  major,  John  B.  Smith,  Hamilton 
county ;  adjutant,  Rigdon  S.  Barnhill,  Fairfield.  The  movements  were 
from  Springfield  to  Jefferson  barracks,  Paducah,  Bastport,  Alabama, 
Pittsburg  Landing  (Colonel  Hicks  was  severely  wounded  in  this  bat- 
tle), Corinth,  Memphis,  Holly  Springs,  in  front  of  Vicksburg,  bat- 
tles of  Jackson,  March  to  the  Sea,  Grand  Review.  Mustered  out  at 
Springfield,  July  24,  1865. 

Forty-third  Infantry  Regiment — This  was  only  in  part  a  Southern 
Illinois  regiment,  companies  A,  B,  G  and  H  being  from  "Egypt." 
These  four  companies  were  from  the  region  of  Belleville.  Organized  at 
Camp  Butler,  September,  1861.  Officers  as  follows:  Colonel,  Julius 
Raith,  0 'Fallen;  lieutenant  colonel,  Adolph  Engleman,  Shiloh,  St.  Clair 
county;  major,  Adolph  Dengler,  Belleville;  adjutant,  John  Peetz,  Rock 
Island.  Camp  Butler  to  St.  Louis,  Fort  Henry,  Fort  Donelson,  Pitts- 
burg  Landing.  Colonel  Raith  mortally  wounded.  Corinth,  Bolivar, 
vicinity  of  Jackson  in  '62-3.  In  Arkansas  till  close  of  war.  Discharged 
at  Camp  Butler,  December  14,  1865. 

Forty-eighth  Infantry  Regiment — This  organization  was  almost 
wholly  from  Southern  Illinois.  The  regiment  was  mustered  at  Camp 
Butler,  September,  1861. 

Colonel,  Isham  N.  Haynie.  Cairo. 

Lieutenant  colonel,  Thomas  H.  Scott,  Metropolis. 

Major,  William  W.  Sanford,  St.  Louis. 

Adjutant,  William  Prescott,  Springfield. 

This  regiment  took  part  in  the  following  battles,  etc. — Forts  Henry 
and  Donelson,  Shiloh,  Corinth,  Vicksburg,  Black  River,  Jackson,  Knox- 
ville,  Resaca,  March  to  Sea,  Grand  Review.  Marched  3,000  miles,  by 
water  5,000,  by  rail  3,450.  Mustered  out  August,  1865. 

Forty-ninth  Infantry  Regiment — Organized  at  Camp  Butler,  De- 
cember 31,  1861. 

Colonel,  William  R.  Morrison,  Waterloo. 

Lieutenant  colonel,  Phineas  Peace,  Centralia. 

Major,  William  W.  Bishop,  Mattoon. 

Adjutant,  James  Morrison. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  329 

The  regiment  reached  Cairo  in  time  to  take  part  in  the  reduction  of 
Forts  Henry  and  Donelson;  thence  to  Shiloh,  Helena,  Arkansas,  Mem- 
phis, Red  River,  and  Nashville.  Mustered  out  September  15,  1865. 

Fifty-fourth  Infantry  Regiment — This  regiment  was  altogether  from 
Egypt.  The  colonel  was  Thomas  W.  Harris  from  Shawneetown.  Mus- 
tered at  Camp  Dubois,  Anna,  February  18,  1862.  In  1864,  while  the 
regiment  was  stationed  at  Mattoon  the  rebel  sympathizers  in  that  vi- 
cinity were  very  bold,  and  spirited  conflicts  occurred.  A  serious  affair 
occurred  in  Charleston,  Coles  county,  in  which  Maj.  Shubal  York  and 
four  privates  were  killed.  The  muster  out  took  place  at  Camp  Butler, 
October  26,  1865. 

Fifty-sixth  Infantry  Regiment — Massac,  Pope,  Gallatin,  Saline, 
White,  Hamilton,  Franklin  and  Wayne  furnished  the  men  of  this  regi- 
ment. It  was  organized  by  Col.  Robert  Kirkham  of  Shawneetown,  and 
eventually  commanded  by  Col.  Green  B.  Raum  of  Harrisburg.  The 
adjutant  was  Samuel  Atwell,  Massac  county.  The  regiment  was  or- 
ganized at  Camp  Mather  near  Shawneetown,  February  27,  1862.  Did 
garrison  "duty  at  Paducah,  Corinth,  Holly  Spring,  campaigned  in  Mis- 
sissippi, Vicksburg,  assisted  in  blowing  up  Fort  Hill,  occupying  the 
Crater  with  heavy  loss.  With  Sherman  to  Atlanta.  Under  Howard  to 
the  sea.  Grand  Review. 

Sixtieth  Infantry  Regiment — Colonel,  Silas  C.  Toler,  Jonesboro; 
lieutenant  colonel,  William  B.  Anderson,  Mt.  Vernon;  major,  Samuel 
Hess,  Vienna;  adjutant,  Thomas  C.  Barnes,  Anna. 

Took  part  in  sieges  and  marches  around  Corinth,  Big  Springs,  Nash- 
ville, Tuscumbia,  Nashville,  Murfreesboro,  Chattanooga,  Knoxville,  At- 
lanta campaign,  March  to  the  Sea,  Grand  Review. 

Sixty-second  Infantry  Regiment — A  large  per  cent  of  this  regiment 
were  Southern  Illinois  men.  Mustered  at  Camp  Dubois,  Anna,  April 
10,  1862.  Colonel,  James  M.  True,  Mattoon;  lieutenant  colonel,  Dan- 
iel S.  Robinson,  Bloomington;  major,  Stephen  M.  Meeker,  Hardinsville ; 
adjutant,  Lewis  C.  True,  Mattoon. 

Reached  Cairo  June  7,  1862,  moved  to  Columbus,  Jackson,  Tennes- 
see, Holly  Springs,  guarded  Mississippi  Central  railroad,  captured  by 
Van  Dorn  at  Holly  Springs  and  records  destroyed.  Later  served  in 
Tennessee  and  Arkansas.  Discharged  at  Springfield,  spring  of  1866. 

Sixty-third  Infantry  Regiment — Organized  at  Camp  Dubois,  Anna, 
December,  1861,  and  received  into  United  States  service  in  April,  1862. 
Officers  were  not  Egyptians.  Seven  companies  were  offered  by  Southern 
Illinois  men.  From  Anna  to  Cairo,  Henderson,  Kentucky,  Jackson, 
Tennessee,  Chattanooga,  Missionary  Ridge,  March  to  the  Sea,  Grand 
Review.  Mustered  out  in  Springfield,  July  16,  1865. 

Seventy-first  Infantry  Regiment — Quite  a  few  Southern  Illinois  men 
enlisted  in  this  regiment.  It  was  a  ninety-day  regiment.  Two  compa- 
nies guarded  "Big  Muddy  Bridge."  Two  companies  garrisoned  Mound 
City.  The  service  was  largely  guard  duty,  and  the  regiment  was  mus- 
tered out  in  Springfield  in  October,  1862. 

Eightieth  Infantry  Regiment — This  regiment  was  organized  at  Cen- 
tralia  and  mustered  into  the  service  August  25,  1862.  The  regimental 
officers  were  as  follows:  Colonel,  Thomas  G.  Allen,  Chester;  lieutenant 
colonel,  Andrew  F.  Rogers,  Upper  Alton ;  major,  Erastus  N.  Bates,  Cen- 
tralia;  adjutant,  James  C.  Jones. 

Moved  to  Louisville,  Kentucky,  was  under  General  Buell,  pursued 


330  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

General  Bragg,  battle  of  Perryville  October  8,  '62;  campaigned  in  vi- 
cinity of  Louisville  and  Nashville,  surrendered  to  General  Forrest  May 
3,  '63,  officers  sent  to  Libby  prison.  After  exchanged  fought  in  battles 
from  Chattanooga  to  Atlanta.  Mustered  out  January  10th,  1865. 

Eighty-first  Infantry  Regiment — This  was  a  Southern  Illinois  regi- 
ment. Organized  at  Anna,  August  26,  1862.  Mustered  out  August  5, 
1865.  Officers:  Colonel,  James  J.  Dollins,  Benton;  lieutenant  colonel, 
Franklin  Campbell,  DuQuoin;  major,  Andrew  W.  Rogers,  Carbondale; 
adjutant,  Zebedee  Hammock,  Tamaroa. 

Moved  to  Cairo,  Humbolt,  Tennessee,  Memphis,  Vicksburg  cam- 
paign. Furnished  some  men  who  ran  the  batteries  of  Vicksburg.  Red 
River  and  return.  Lost  in  dead,  wounded,  and  prisoners  153  men  in 
Guntown  engagement.  Mobile  in  spring  of  '65.  Of  1,144  enlisted  men 
54  killed,  287  died  of  disease,  274  resigned  and  discharged,  529  mustered 
out. 

Eighty-seventh  Infantry  Regiment — Recruited  from  Wayne,  White, 
Wabash,  Edwards  and  Gallatin,  and  nearby  counties.  Organized  at 
Shawneetown  October  3,  1862,  and  mustered  out  June  24, -1865,  in 
Springfield.  Garrison  duty  at  Memphis,  here  lost  and  disabled  250 
men  from  measles.  Battle  of  Warrenton,  Siege  of  Vicksburg,  Red  River 
expedition.  Helena,  Arkansas,  thence  to  Camp  Butler. 

Ninety-seventh  Infantry  Regiment — This  regiment  contained  quite 
a  sprinkle  of  Southern  Illinois  men.  The  colonel  was  Friend  S.  Ruth- 
erford, Alton ;  Capt.  James  G.  Buchanan  was  from  Cumberland  county, 
Company  G;  Capt.  John  Trible  was  recruited  about  Alton. 

Ninety-eighth  Infantry  Regiment — Effingham,  Clay,  Jasper,  Rich- 
land  and  nearby  counties  furnished  the  soldiers  of  the  Ninety-eighth. 
Colonel,  John  J.  Funkhauser,  Jasper ;  lientenant  colonel,  Edward  Kitch- 
ell,  Olney;  major,  William  B.  Cooper,  Effingham;  adjutant,  John  H.  J. 
Lacey,  Effingham. 

Mustered  at  Centralia,  September  3,  1862.  Bowling  Green,  Ken- 
tucky, Glasgow,  Nashville.  Raided  in  Georgia.  Returned  to  Nashville, 
East  Tennessee,  Chickamauga  and  Big  Shanty.  Campaigned  about 
Nashville  and  in  northern  Alabama. 

One  Hundred  Ninth  Infantry  Regiment — The  One  Hundred  Ninth 
was  almost  entirely  recruited  from  Union  county,  except  Company  K, 
which  came  from  Pulaski  county.  Colonel,  Alexander  J.  Nimms;  lieu- 
tenant colonel,  Elijah  A.  Willard;  major,  Thomas  M.  Perrine;  adju- 
tant, James  Evans. 

Mustered  at  Anna,  September  11,  1862.  Moved  to  Cairo,  Columbus, 
Bolivar,  Moscow,  Holly  Springs,  Lumpkins  Mill,  Lake  Providence.  It 
was  armed  with  inferior  guns,  and  later  was  consolidated  with  the 
Eleventh  Infantry.  No  record  of  important  engagements.  There  were 
159  desertions,  only  one  occuring  in  Company  K. 

One  Hundred  Tenth  Infantry  Regiment — Jefferson,  Washington, 
Wayne,  Hamilton,  Saline,  Franklin,  Perry  and  Williamson  furnished 
the  soldiers  for  this  regiment.  Mustered  at  Anna,  September  11,  1862. 
Officers  as  follows:  Colonel,  Thomas  S.  Casey,  Mt.  Vernon;  lieutenant 
colonel,  Monroe  C.  Crawford,  Jonesboro;  major,  Daniel  Mooneyham, 
Benton;  adjutant,  Oscar  A.  Taylor,  New  York  city. 

Louisville,  Perryville  (not  engaged),  Central  Kentucky,  Stone 
River,  Woodbury.  Consolidated  May  '63.  Chickamauga,  Missionary 
Ridge,  Atlanta,  March  to  Sea,  Grand  Review.  Mustered  out  June  15, 
1865. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  331 

One  Hundred  Eleventh  Infantry  Regiment — This  was  a  real  South- 
ern Illinois  regiment.  Six  companies  were  enlisted  from  Marion  county, 
one  from  Clay,  one  in  Washington,  one  from  Clinton,  and  one  from 
Wayne  and  Marion.  Organized  at  Saline,  September  18,  1862,  at  Camp 
Marshall.  Colonel,  James  S.  Martin,  Saline;  lieutenant  colonel,  Joseph 
F.  Black,  Saline ;  major,  William  H.  Mabry,  Xenia ;  adjutant,  William 
C.  Styles,  Centralia. 

From  Camp  Marshall  to  Cairo,  Columbus,  Kentucky,  Fort  Heiman, 
up  the  Tennessee,  Atlanta  campaign,  engaged  in  watching  Hood,  Grand 
Review.  Engaged  in  8  battles,  17  skirmishes.  Killed  in  battle  46, 
wounded  144,  died  in  prison  11,  died  in  hospital  93,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability 71.  Marched  1,836  miles,  by  steamer  650,  by  rail  1,250. 

One  Hundred  Seventeenth  Infantry  Regiment — Colonel,  Risdon  M. 
Moore,  Lebanon;  lieutenant  colonel,  Johnathan  Merriam,  Tazewell 
county;  major,  Thomas  J.  Newsham,  Edwardsville ;  adjutant,  Samuel 
H.  Deneen,  Lebanon. 

All  the  companies  except  A  and  B  were  Southern  Illinois  boys.  Or- 
ganized at  Camp  Butler,  September,  1862.  To  Memphis,  Red  River  ex- 
pedition, eastern  Missouri,  Nashville,  campaigned  around  the  gulf.  Mus- 
tered out  August  5,  1865. 

One  Hundred  Twentieth  Infantry  Regiment — Colonel,  George  W. 
McKeaig,  Shawneetown;  lieutenant  colonel,  John  G.  Hardy,  Vienna; 
major,  Spencer  B.  Floyd,  Pope  county ;  adjutant,  Buford  Wilson, 
Shawneetown. 

Organized  at  Camp  Butler,  mustered  October  28,  1862.  Moved  to 
Alton,  St.  Louis,  Memphis,  garrison  duty  at  Fort  Pickering  where  men 
had  measles,  small  pox,  and  pneumonia.  Hopesdale,  Arkansas,  siege 
of  Vicksburg,  garrison  duty  along  the  Mississippi.  Mustered  out  Sep- 
tember 10,  1865. 

One  Hundred  Twenty-eighth  Infantry  Regiment — This  regiment 
mustered  into  service  December  18,  1862,  and  disbanded  April  4,  1863. 
The  officers  were :  Colonel,  Robert  M.  Hundley,  Marion ;  lieutenant 
colonel,  James  D.  Pulley,  Marion ;  major,  James  D.  McCown,  Marion ; 
adjutant,  William  A.  Lemma,  Marion. 

ORDER  FROM  WAR  DEPARTMENT 

"Cairo,  Illinois,  April  1,  1863. 

"Special  order:  The  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-eighth  Regiment  of 
Volunteers,  having  in  its  short  period  of  service  of  less  than  five  months, 
been  reduced  from  an  aggregate  of  eight  hundred  and  sixty  to  one 
hundred  and  sixty-one — principally  by  desertion — and  there  having 
been  an  utter  want  of  discipline  in  it,  the  following  officers  are  hereby 
discharged  from  the  service  of  the  United  States,  to  take  effect  the  4th 
inst.,  etc.,  etc. 

"By  order  of  the  secretary  of  war. 

"Official:  E.  D.  TOWNSEND,  assistant  adjutant  general. 

"L;  THOMAS,  adjutant  general." 

The  officers  were  nearly  if  not  quite  all  discharged  and  the  privates 
were  attached  to  the  Ninth  Illinois  Infantry. 

One  Hundred  Thirty-first  Infantry  Regiment — This  also  was  an 
Egyptian  regiment.  It  was  organized  on  the  grounds  of  old  Fort  Mas- 


332  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

sac,  near  Metropolis  in  September,  1862.  The  measles  broke  out  before 
the  regiment  left  Fort  Massac  and  through  death  and  disability  it  lost 
over  a  hundred  men.  Moved  to  Cairo,  thence  to  Memphis,  Milliken's 
Bend,  Haine's  Bluff,  Arkansas  Post,  returned  to  Memphis,  siege  of 
Vicksburg,  Paducah,  campaigned  in  Kentucky,  consolidated  with  the 
Twenty-ninth.  Officers:  Colonel,  George  W.  Neely,  Metropolis;  lieu- 
tenant colonel,  Richard  A.  Peter,  Metropolis;  major,  Joseph  L.  Purvis, 
Metropolis;  adjutant,  LaFayette  Twitchell. 

ONE  HUNDRED  DAYS'  SERVICE 

One  Hundred  Thirty-sixth  Infantry  Regiment — There  were  thirteen 
regiments  of  Illinois  troops  organized  for  the  one  hundred  days'  service. 
They  were  all  enlisted  in  the  spring  and  summer  of  1864.  The  plan 
was  to  have  this  branch  of  the  service  do  guard  duty,  mainly.  In  this 
way  the  seasoned  veterans  could  give  their  time  to  the  more  serious  mil- 
itary operations.  The  One  Hundred  Thirty-sixth  regiment  was  officered 
as  follows:  Colonel,  Frederick  A.  Johns,  Olney;  lieutenant  colonel, 
William  T.  Ingram,  Benton;  major,  Henry  A.  Organ,  Fairfield;  adju- 
tant, Elias  J.  Bryan,  Ashley. 

Mustered  at  Centralia  June  1,  1864.  Moved  to  Columbus,  Kentucky, 
thence  to  Paducah,  Mayfield,  Columbus.  Reenlisted  for  fifteen  days 
and  mustered  out  October  22,  1864. 

One  Hundred  Forty-third  Infantry  Regiment — Dudley  C.  Smith  of 
Shelbyville  was  colonel.  Companies  B,  E,  I  and  K  were  Southern  Illinois 
men.  Served  from  June  16th  to  September  10,  1864.  This  regiment  did 
excellent  service  about  Memphis  and  Helena,  Arkansas. 

One  Hundred  Forty-fourth  Infantry  Regiment — This  regiment  was 
recruited  from  the  localities  of  Shelbyville.  Alton,  and  neighboring  lo- 
calities. Organized  at  Alton  October  21,  1864.  Mustered  out  July  14, 
1865.  No  record  to  be  found. 

One  Hundred  Forty-fifth  Infantry  Regiment — Company  A,  Capt. 
Tamerlane  Chapman,  Vienna,  and  Company  F,  Capt.  Finis  Evans,  Ma- 
kanda,  were  Egyptian  boys.  Quite  a  number  of  Southern  Illinois  enlist- 
ments in  other  companies. 

THE  ALTON  BATTALION 

This  battalion  of  two  companies  was  recruited  about  Alton  in  June, 

1864.  It  served  till  October,  1864. 

ONE  YEAR  SERVICE 

One  Hundred  Forty-ninth  Infantry  Regiment — Only  partly  a 
Southern  Illinois  organization.  Organized  at  Camp  Butler,  February, 

1865,  and  mustered  out  January,   1866.     Colonel.  Wm.   C.   Kneffner, 
Collins'  Station;  lieutenant  colonel.   Alexander  G.   Hawes.   Belleville; 
major.  Moses  M.  Warner,  Jacksonville;  adjutant,  Winfield  S.  Norcross, 
Carlyle. 

The  regiment  did  garrison  duty  about  Chattanooga  and  Atlanta. 

One  Hundred  Fiftieth  Infantry  Regiment — Colonel.  Geo.  W. 
Keener,  Oldtown;  lieutenant  colonel,  Charles  F.  Springer.  Edwards- 
ville ;  major,  Wm.  R.  Prickett,  Edwardsville ;  adjutant,  Chancey  H. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHEKN  ILLINOIS  333 

Shelton,  Chebanse.  Organized  February,  1865.  Mustered  out  Jan- 
uary, l«6b.  Did  garrison  duty  in  the  region  of  Chattanooga,  Bridge- 
port, Cleveland,  Dalton  and  Atlanta. 

CAVALRY  SERVICE 

First  Cavalry  Regiment — Companies  B,  H  and  I  were  Egyptians. 
Company  B,  captain,  James  Foster,  Equality;  Company  H,  captain, 
Robt.  D.  Noleman,  Centralia;  Company  I,  captain,  Orlando  Burrell, 
Alton.  This  regiment  was  mustered  in  at  Alton  July  3,  1861.  Regi- 
ment was  captured  at  Lexington,  Mo.,  and  after  much  unpleasant  rela- 
tionship among  officers  and  men  the  regiment  was  abandoned  and  men 
enlisted  elsewhere. 

Second  Cavalry  Regiment — Two  companies,  D  and  E,  of  this  regi- 
ment were  southern  Illinois  troops.  Company  D,  Captain  Franklin 
B.  Moore,  Upper  Alton;  Company  E,  captain,  Samuel  P.  Tipton,  Sum- 
merfield. 

The  regiment  was  mustered  August  20,  1861,  at  Camp  Butler. 
Moved  first  to  DuQuoin,  Carbondale,  and  Fort  Massac.  Scouted  in 
Missouri  after  Colonel  Jeff  Thompson.  Took  part  in  all  the  campaigns 
up  to  and  including  the  siege  of  Vicksburg.  Operated  on  the  lower 
Mississippi.  Mustered  out  January  3,  1866. 

Third  Cavalry  Regiment — Company  D,  captain,  Thomas  M.  Davis, 
Bond  county,  and  Company  E,  captain,  John  L.  Campbell,  Saline 
county,  were  the  only  southern  Illinois  troops  in  this  regiment.  From 
Camp  Butler  to  Jefferson  City,  Springfield,  Pea  Ridge,  Helena,  White 
River,  Grenada,  and  Haines  Bluff.  Siege  of  Vicksburg. 

Fifth  Cavalry  Regiment — Benjamin  L.  Wiley,  of  Makanda,  Jackson 
county,  was  lieutenant  colonel  of  this  regiment.  Companies  A,  D,  F, 
H,  K  and  M  were  Southern  Illinois  troops.  Did  valiant  service  on  the 
Mississippi  river  south  of  Memphis.  Mustered  in  November,  1861,  and 
discharged  October  27,  1865. 

Sixth  Cavalry  Regiment — This  is  the  regiment  that  made  the  famous 
raid  through  Mississippi  and  Louisiana  in  April,  1863,  usually  known 
as  Grierson's  Raid.  It  started  from  La  Grange  and  ended  at  Baton 
Rouge.  It  was  a  seven  teen-days'  ride,  the  distance  traveled  being  800 
miles.  Company  A,  captain,  Geo.  W.  Peck,  Metropolis;  Company  B, 
captain,  James  B.  Morry,  Johnson  county;  Company  D,  captain,  Hosea 
Vice,  McLeansboro;  Company  E,  captain,  Isaac  Gibson,  Olney;  Com- 
pany F,  captain,  Cressa  K.  Davis,  Harrisburg;  company  G,  captain, 
John  M.  Boicourt,  Golconda;  Company  H,  captain,  John  J.  Ritchey, 
McLeansboro;  Company  I,  captain,  Reuben  Loomis,  DuQuoin;  Com- 
pany K,  captain,  Edward  Dawes,  Rectorville;  Company  M,  captain, 
Isaiah  M.  Sperry,  South  Pass. 

The  colonel  was  Benjamin  H.  Grierson.  He  lived  at  Jacksonville 
in  1861,  but  later  resided  west  of  that  city.  He  died  recently  an  hon- 
ored citizen  of  a  great  state. 

Seventh  Cavalry  Regiment — Three  companies,  F,  G,  and  M,  were 
chiefly  Southern  Illinois  men.  Company  F,  captain,  Antrim  P.  Kockler, 
Otego ;  Company  G.  captain.  Geo.  W.  Trafton,  New  Haven ;  Company 
C,  captain,  John  P.  Lndwig,  Red  Bud. 

The  regiment  was  with  General  Grierson  on  his  famous  raid. 


334  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

Thirteenth  Cavalry  Regiment — This  regiment  was  officered  by 
men  from  around  Chicago.  It  was  consolidated  by  order  of  war  de- 
partment in  May,  1863.  In  the  new  organization  there  were  the  fol- 
lowing companies  from  Egypt:  Company  D,  captain,  Gurnsey  W.  Da- 
vis, DeSoto;  Company  E,  captain,  David  Slinger,  Carmi;  Company  F, 
captain,  Andrew  J.  Alden,  Tamaroa;  Company  G,  captain,  George  M. 
Alden,  Ashley;  Company  H,  captain,  Samuel  A.  Hoyne,  Lovilla;  Com- 
pany I  captain  Edward  Brown,  Carbondale ;  Company  K,  captain, 
Henry  W.  Smith,  Benton;  Company  L,  captain,  Geo.  W.  Sewsberry, 
Georgetown. 

After  the  consolidation  the  regiment  did  service  in  the  region  of 
Little  Rock  and  southeastern  Missouri.  Mustered  out  August  31,  1865. 

Fourteenth  Cavalry  Regiment — This  regiment  was  recruited  from 
different  parts  of  the  state.  The  lieutenant  colonel  was  David  P.  Jen- 
kins, Vandalia,  and  the  major  was  Francis  M.  Davidson,  Anna.  Com- 
pany E,  captain,  Benj.  Crandall,  Shawneetown;  Company  F,  captain, 
Thomas  K.  Jenkins,  Vandalia;  Company  G,  captain,  Wm.  Perkins, 
Vienna. 

Did  service  in  vicinity  of  railroad  from  Louisville  to  Nashville. 
Captured  the  famous  rebel  raider,  General  Morgan.  Annihilated 
Thomas'  Legion  in  North  Carolina.  In  Atlanta  campaign.  Guarded 
Hood's  movements.  Mustered  out  July,  1865. 

Fifteenth  Cavalry  Regiment — Colonel,  Warren  Stewart,  Alexander 
county;  lieutenant  colonel,  Geo.  A.  Bacon,  Carlyle;  Company  B,  cap- 
tain, Egleton  Carmichael,  Metropolis;  Company  C,  captain,  James 
Dollins,  Benton;  Company  E,  captain,  Wm.  D.  Hutchens,  Centralia; 
Company  F,  captain,  Joseph  Adams,  Benton. 

The  regiment  moved  from  Cairo  in  the  spring  of  '62  and  took  part 
in  Forts  Henry  and  Donelson,  Shiloh,  Corinth.  Scouted  in  Mississippi, 
Alabama,  Kentucky,  and  Tennessee.  Mustered  out  August  25,  1864. 

SPANISH-AMERICAN  WAR 

When  the  Spanish-American  war  began  in  1898,  the  President  on 
April  25,  called  for  125,000  volunteers.  Illinois'  quota  was  eight  regi- 
ments— seven  of  infantry  and  one  of  cavalry.  A  second  call  was  issued 
May  25th,  for  an  additonal  75,000  men.  Illinois  was  to  have  two  addi- 
tional regiments.  This  would  give  the  state  nine  regiments.  Eight  of 
these  were  made  up  of  the  militiamen  enrolled  at  that  time.  The  regi- 
ments were  numbered  from  one  to  nine.  The  Eighth  regiment  was  a 
colored  regiment  and  the  Ninth  was  a  "Provisional  Regiment." 

The  Fourth  Illinois  Infantry — This  regiment  was  made  up  of  enlist- 
ments from  Champaign,  Coles,  Douglas,  Edgar,  Effingham,  Fayette, 
Jackson,  Jefferson,  Montgomery,  Richland,  and  St.  Clair.  The  regi- 
mental organization  was  not  very  stable  but  at  the  beginning  it  was 
as  follows: 

Colonel,  Casimir  Andel  of  Belleville.  He  was  tried  on  charges  of 
violating  the  21st,  61st.  62d  Articles  of  War.  Found  guilty  of  violat- 
ing 62d  article.  He  resigned.  He  was  succeeded  by  Colonel  Eben 
Swift  of  the  regular  army.  Lieutenant  colonel.  Stenhen  A.  D.  Mc- 
Williams  of  Springfield ;  major,  Louis  E.  Bennett  of  Greenville,  was 
tried  on  charge  of  violating  the  62d  Article  of  War.  Found  guilty. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  335 

Adjutant,  Harry  S.  Parker,  Effingham;  Company  A,  captain,  Joseph 
P.  Barricklow,  Arcola;  Company  B,  Win.  A.  Howell,  Newton;  Company 
C,  captain,  Eugene  Barton,  Carbondale ;  Company  D,  captain,  Ferd  J. 
Schrader,  Belleville ;  Company  E,  captain,  Chas.  E.  Rudy,  Mattoon ; 
Company  F,  captain,  Neil  P.  Pavey,  Mt.  Vernon;  Company  G,  captain, 
Claude  E.  Ryman,  Effingham;  Company  H,  William  H.  Hanker,  Paris; 
Company  I,  captain,  Samuel  S.  Houston,  Vandalia ;  Company  K,  cap- 
tain, Geo.  L.  Zink,  Litchfield ;  Company  L,  captain,  Franz  Meunch, 
Olney;  Company  M,  captain,  Wm.  R.  Courtney,  Urbana. 

This  regiment  was  mustered  in  at  Springfield.  From  there  to 
Jacksonville,  Florida.  Here  the  camp  was  called  "Camp  Cuba  Libre." 
From  here  to  Camp  Onward,  near  Savannah.  The  regiment  went  to 
Havana,  January,  1899,  and  entered  Camp  Columbia.  In  April  re- 
turned to  Augusta,  Ga.  Mustered  out  in  May,  1899. 

EIGHTH  ILLINOIS  INFANTRY 

This  was  the  colored  regiment,  Colonel  John  R.  Marshall,  of  Chicago, 
was  in  command.  Southern  Illinois  furnished  three  companies;  one 
from  Mound  City,  one  from  Metropolis,  and  one  from  Golconda.  This 
regiment  rendered  valuable  service  at  Santiago. 

NINTH  ILLINOIS  INFANTRY 

This  regiment  was  enlisted  from  the  counties  in  the  eastern  part  of 
Southern  Illinois.  Colonel  James  R.  Campbell  of  McLeansboro  headed 
the  regiment.  The  regiment  went  to  Jacksonville,  thence  to  Savannah, 
and  thence  to  Havana  where  it  remained  till  May,  1899.  This  was  the 
provisional  regiment — that  is  the  troops  were  not  previously  members 
of  the  militia. 

It  has  been  the  aim  in  the  foregoing  paragraphs  to  mention  those 
organizations — regimental  or  company — which  were  largely  or  wholly 
from  the  southern  end  of  the  state.  It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that 
hundreds  and  thousands  of  men  from  Southern  Illinois  were  enrolled 
in  organizations  credited  to  other  parts  of  the  state  and  even  to  other 
states.  As  has  been  previously  remarked,  the  southern  counties  were 
sympathetic  with  the  secessionists  at  first,  but  as  the  war  progressed 
their  patriotism  revived  and  no  other  section  of  the  state  furnished 
braver  or  better  soldiers  than  Egypt. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 
THE  RETURN  OF  PEACE 

A  REUNITED  PEOPLE — ECONOMIC  ADVANCEMENT — POLITICAL  AND  CON- 
STITUTIONAL CHANGES — CONSTITUTION  OP  1870 — ELECTIONS  OF  THE 
SEVENTIES — RAILROAD  STRIKE  OP  1870 — THE  EIGHTIES  AND  NINETIES 
— THE  WORLD'S  PAIR — FROM  ALTGELD  TO  DENEEN. 

The  surrender  of  Lee  in  Virginia  April  9,  1865,  and  of  Johnston  in 
North  Carolina,  April  26,  1865,  virtually  closed  the  Civil  war.  In  the 
early  part  of  May  the  army  of  Mead  and  the  army  of  Sherman  went 
into  camp  near  the  city  of  Washington.  On  the  18th  of  May,  orders 
were  received  that  a  Grand  Review  would  take  place  on  the  23d.  On 
the  morning  of  that  day  the  great  army  was  set  in  motion  and  for  three 
days  the  "boys  in  blue"  marched  down  Pennsylvania  avenue  past  the 
reviewing  stand  in  front  of  the  White  House.  From  the  capital  they 
returned  to  their  homes  to  take  up  the  duties  of  the  farm,  the  shop, 
the  counting  house,  and  the  various  professions. 

A  REUNITED  PEOPLE 

Notwithstanding  the  bitter  feeling  which  existed  in  Southern  Illinois 
between  the  loyal  union  men  and  those  who  sympathized  with  seces- 
sion, it  was  soon  forgotten  and  all  bent  their  energies  toward  building 
up  the  waste  places.  Churches  took  on  renewed  life,  the  congregations 
grew,  preaching  was  more  regular,  financial  burdens  were  lightened 
and  in  many  ways  there  were  signs  of  real  brotherly  love.  In  many  in- 
stances new  churches  were  built,  old  ones  repaired  and  painted,  ceme- 
teries were  cleaned  of  briars  and  sprouts,  tombstones  were  straightened, 
the  yard  fenced,  and  the  graves  of  soldiers  of  the  Revolution,  War  of 
1812,  the  Black  Hawk  war,  the  Mexican  war,  and  the  Civil  war  marked. 
The  beautiful  Decoration  Day  service  became  a  common  possession 
and  each  vied  with  others  in  deeds  of  kindness  to  the  war  widow  and 
her  orphan  children. 

ECONOMIC  ADVANCEMENT 

The  close  of  the  war  brought  economic  advancement.  While  the 
wages  of  the  soldiers  were  small  and  much  of  their  money  was  spent  in 
the  army  in  a  reckless  way,  yet  there  were  many  who  saved  a  portion 
of  their  hard  earned  salary.  Again  prices  of  nearly  all  farm  products 
were  high  and  money  was  plentiful.  Many  homes  that  were  neglected 
while  the  "boys"  or  husbands  were  in  the  army,  were  repaired,  recov- 

336 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  337 

ered,  repainted,  and  many  comforts  placed  therein.  "New  ground" 
was  cleared,  farms  enlarged,  barns  erected,  and  farm  machinery  pur- 
chased. The  cradle  was  the  chief  and  really  the  only  means  of  har- 
vesting the  wheat  prior  to  1860.  By  1870  the  old  fashioned  drop 
reaper  was  in  use.  Improved  plows,  threshers,  hay  rakes,  corn  plant- 
ers, and  other  improved  farm  machinery  came  into  general  use. 

Roads  and  bridges  received  attention,  new  roads  were  opened,  and 
railroads  brought  the  markets  near  to  the  farmers'  door. 

People  waked  up  to  the  fact  that  nearly  all  Southern  Illinois  is  un- 
derlaid with  a  fine  quality  of  bituminous  coal,  mines  were  opened  every- 
where. In  a  few  places  coke  ovens  were  constructed,  some  of  which 
are  yet  turning  out  limited  quantities  of  that  useful  form  of  fuel. 
Rock  quarries,  and  claybeds  were  operated  here  and  there.  Oil  and 
gas  were  discovered.  The  wonderful  adaptation  of  Southern  Illinois 
to  the  growing  of  all  kinds  of  fruits  was  discovered.  Great  apple  or- 
chards were  planted  in  Clay,  Wayne,  Marion,  Richland  and  other  coun- 
ties, strawberries  were  raised  and  marketed;  blackberries,  raspber- 
ries, peaches,  rhubarb,  asparagus,  sweet  potatoes,  and  all  forms  of  garden 
vegetables  were  grown  in  great  abundance  and  found  a  ready  market 
in  Chicago  and  St.  Louis.  To  meet  the  demand  of  the  shippers,  rail- 
roads were  built  through  most  of  the  counties. 

Not  least  of  the  activities  of  the  new  generation  was  the  marketing 
of  enormous  quantities  of  all  grades  of  lumber  and  timber  from  this 
end  of  the  state.  Saw-mills  were  located  in  nearly  every  neighborhood, 
and  especially  did  the  cities  along  the  Ohio,  particularly  Metropolis, 
Mound  City,  and  Cairo  foster  great  lumber  and  timber  interests. 

In  the  later  years  of  the  war  as  well  as  for  a  decade  or  so  following 
the  war,  the  negroes  were  migrating  to  Southern  Illinois.  They  set- 
tled chiefly  along  the  Ohio.  The  counties  of  Alexander,  Pulaski,  Massac 
and  Gallatin  contained  a  great  many  negroes.  It  should  be  remem- 
bered that  the  old  system  of  indenturing  servants  had  brought  in  a 
large  number  of  negroes,  many  of  whom  never  did  return  to  the  old 
home  in  the  south. 

Schools  improved  wonderfully  in  the  years  following  the  Civil  war. 
Many  of  the  teachers  were  young  men  who  had  had  experience  in  war, 
and  this  was  of  great  interest  to  the  students  and  often  a  source  of  real 
profit  to  the  young  people.  Better  school  houses  were  built.  There 
were  scores  of  school  houses  during  the  war  which  were  made  of  logs 
and  contained  only  home  made  furniture.  Frame  buildings  replaced 
these  old  log  houses  and  ' '  boughten ' '  furniture  was  substituted  for  that 
made  at  home  by  the  school  patron. 

This  awakening  reached  all  the  various  phases  of  the  people's  life, 
and  served  greatly  to  divert  the  people's  minds  from  the  late  "unpleas- 
antness. ' ' 

POLITICAL  AND  CONSTITUTIONAL  CHANGES 

There  remains  to  be  recited  the  changes  in  political  matters  which, 
if  anything,  were  more  marked  than  any  of  the  foregoing  phases. 

By  the  apportionment  of  1850,  Illinois  was  entitled  to  nine  con- 
gressmen. By  that  of  1860,  the  state  had  fourteen  representatives.  In 
1861  there  were  five  Democrats  and  four  Republicans  in  congress  from 


338 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


Illinois.  In  1865  there  were  ten  Republicans  and  four  Democrats  in 
the  delegation  in  congress.  In  1870  the  census  and  the  apportionment 
gave  the  state  nineteen  congressmen.  Fourteen  of  these  nineteen  were 
Republicans,  five  were  Democrats.  In  1883  we  had  twenty  congress- 
men, twelve  Republicans,  eight  Democrats.  In  1893  twenty-two  con- 
gressmen, eleven  Democrats  and  eleven  Republicans.  In  1903,  twenty- 
five  congressmen,  eight  Democrats  and  seventeen  Republicans.  In  the 
Fifty-ninth  congress  the  Hon.  Henry  T.  Rainey,  from  the  Twentieth 
district,  was  the  only  Democrat  in  the  delegation.  In  the  present 'con- 
gress (March  4,  1911,  to  March  3,  1913),  there  are  161  Republicans  and 
228  Democrats. 

In  the  election  of  1868  Gen.  John  M.  Palmer,  who  was  essentially  a 
Southern  Illinois  man.  was  elected  governor.    He  had  been  allied  with 


NEW  STATE  HOUSE,  SPRINGFIELD 

the  Republican  party  since  the  beginning  of  the  Civil  war.  In  1867 
a  move  was  set  on  foot  to  remodel  the  state  constitution.  This  matured 
and  the  convention  met  in  Springfield  December  13,  1869.  Among  the 
delegates,  those  from  Southern  Illinois  were:  James  C.  Allen,  Craw- 
ford county;  William  B.  Anderson,  Jefferson;  Henry  W.  Billings, 
Madison;  Wm.  G.  Bowman,  Gallatin;  George  W.  Brown,  Massac;  Silas 
L.  Bryan,  Marion;  Harvey  P.  Buxton,  Clinton;  James  Forman,  Fay- 
ette;  Chas.  E.  McDowell,  White;  Peleg  S.  Perley,  Marshall;  James  P. 
Robinson,  Richland;  John  Scholfield,  Clark;  James  M.  Sharp,  White; 
Wm.  A.  Snyder,  St.  Clair;  Chas.  F.  Springer,  Madison;  Wm.  H.  Un-- 
derwood,  St.  Clair;  George  W.  Wall,  Perry;  James  H.  Washburn,  Wil- 
liamson; John  H.  Wilson,  Monroe;  and  William  J.  Allen,  Alexander; 
John  Q.  Harmon,  of  Alexander  county,  was  secretary. 

Moses'  "History  of  Illinois"  speaks  of  William  J.  Allen,  of  Alex- 
ander county,  and  J.  C.  Allen,  of  Crawford  county,  as  being  the  lead- 
ers in  the  convention.  They  were  ably  supported  by  Judge  Silas  L. 
Bryan,  of  Salem,  Marion  county,  father  of  Wm.  J.  Bryan,  now  of  inter- 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  339 

national  fame.  Among  others  worthy  of  special  mention  were  John 
Scholfield  of  Clark  county,  \Vm.  H.  Snyder  and  Wm.  H.  Underwood 
of  St.  Clair  county. 

CONSTITUTION  OF  1870 

The  constitution  of  1870  contains  a  bill  of  rights  of  twenty  sections, 
provides  for  minority  representation,  and  requires  the  legislature  to  pro- 
vide "a  thorough  and  efficient  system  of  free  schools,  whereby  all  chil- 
dren of  this  state  may  receive  a  good  common  school  education."  All 
corporate  bodies,  as  cities,  towns,  school  districts,  etc.,  are  prohibited 
from  paying  money  from  the  public  treasury  in  aid  of  any  church  or 
sectarian  purpose,  or  to  any  school  controlled  by  any  church.  The  docu- 
ment was  adopted  by  the  convention  May  13,  1870 ;  ratified  by  the  peo- 
ple at  a  special  election  July  2,  1870,  and  went  into  force  August  8,  1870. 

The  constitution  recognizes  God  as  the  Giver  of  all  good  gifts.  The 
preamble  reads  as  follows:  "We,  the  people  of  the  state  of  Illinois, 
grateful  to  Almighty  God  for  the  civil,  political,  and  religious  liberty 
which  He  hath  so  long  permitted  us  to  enjoy,  and  looking  to  Him  for 
blessings  upon  our  endeavors  to  secure  and  transmit  the  same  unim- 
paired to  succeeding  generations — in  order  to  form  a  more  perfect 
government,  establish  justice,  insure  domestic  tranquility,  provide  for 
the  common  defense,  promote  the  general  welfare,  and  secure  the  bless- 
ings of  liberty  to  ourselves  and  our  posterity,  do  ordain  and  establish 
this  constitution  for  the  state  of  Illinois." 

One  important  provision  in  the  constitution  of  1870.  is  that  which 
provides  for  minority  representation.  The  constitution  created  fifty- 
one  senatorial  districts  in  the  state.  From  each  senatorial  district  there 
came  one  state  senator  and  three  representatives.  The  plan  by  which 
we  may  have  minority  representation  is  to  give  each  elector  three  votes 
for  representative,  and  only  one  for  senator.  The  voter  may  cast  his 
three  votes  for  any  one  of  the  several  candidates  running  for  the  lower 
house.  Or  he  may  vote  one  and  one-half  votes  for  any  two  candidates. 
Or  he  may  cast  one  vote  for  each  of  three  candidates.  Or  he  may  cast 
two  votes  for  one  candidate  and  one  vote  for  a  second  candidate. 

This  is  so  called  because  the  plan  allows  the  voter  to  accumulate  his 
votes  upon  any  one  candidate.  If  there  are  sixteen  thousand  voters  in 
a  district,  six  thousand  Democrats  and  ten  thousand  Republicans,  the 
Republicans  will  nominate  two  candidates  for  the  lower  house.  Each 
voter  casts  one  and  one-half  votes  for  each  candidate.  This  gives  each 
fifteen  thousand  votes  by  this  accumulative  plan.  The  Democrats  nom- 
inate one  candidate  and  each  voter  casts  three  votes  for  this  candidate, 
thus  giving  him  eighteen  thousand  votes. 

Before  either  party  can  elect  all  three  representatives  in  any  district 
that  party  must  have  one  voter  more  than  three-fourths  of  all  the  voters. 

An  unnumbered  section  of  the  constitution  of  1870,  is  as  follows: 
"No  contract,  obligation  or  liability  whatever,  of  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad  Company,  to  pay  any  money  into  the  state  treasury,  nor  any 
lien  of  the  state  upon,  or  right  to  tax  property  of  said  company  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  provisions  of  the  charter  of  said  company,  approved 
February  10,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  1851,  shall  ever  be  released,  sus- 
pended, modified,  altered,  remitted,  or  in  any  manner  diminished  or 
impaired  by  legislative  or  other  authority ;  and  all  moneys  derived  from 


340  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

said  company  after  the  payment  of  the  state  debt,  shall  be  appropriated 
and  set  apart  ior  the  payment  of  the  ordinary  expenses  of  the  state 
government,  and  for  no  other  purpose  whatever."  This  clause  is  full 
of  significance  now  in  view  of  the  claims  of  the  state  administration  rel- 
ative to  the  back  taxes  due  the  state  from  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad 
Company. 

The  constitution  prohibits  municipalities  from  subscribing  for  any 
stock  in  any  railroad  or  private  corporation;  limits  the  rate  of  taxa- 
tion and  amount  of  indebtedness  that  may  be  incurred ;  prohibits  spe- 
cial legislation;  declares  elevators  and  ware-houses  public  utilities  and 
provides  for  their  inspection;  enjoins  upon  the  legislature  the  main- 
tainance  of  an  efficient  public  school  system;  prohibits  any  appropria- 
tion of  money  for  any  sectarian  purposes  whatever;  appellate  courts 
are  authorized;  and  salaries  of  state  officers  are  fixed  by  legislative  ac- 
tion. 

The  campaign  in  the  summer  and  fall  of  1870,  was  spirited.  Logan 
was  returned  to  congress  as  a  representative-at-large,  while  the  Repub- 
licans elected  the  treasurer  and  superintendent  of  public  instruction. 
The  delegation  in  congress  stood :  Republicans,  9 ;  Democrats,  5.  In  the 
legislative  session  of  1871,  John  A.  Logan  was  elected  United  States 
Senator  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused  by  the  expiration  of  Senator  Yates' 
term.  Gen.  John  L.  Beveridge  was  chosen  to  fill  out  Logan 's  term  as 
congressman-at-large. 

ELECTIONS  OF  THE  SEVENTIES 

In  the  state  and  national  elections  of  1872  there  was  a  very  large 
falling  off  in  the  Republican  vote.  In  Illinois  the  Liberal  Republican 
and  the  Democratic  party  fused  and  named  Gustavus  Koerner  of  Belle- 
ville for  governor.  The  Republicans  nominated  Gen.  Richard  J.  Oglesby 
for  governor.  The  Republican  tickets  were  successful.  Governor 
Oglesby  was  elected  to  the  United  States  senate  and  Lieut.  Gov.  John 
L.  Beveridge  finished  out  the  governor's  term. 

In  1874  Thomas  S.  Ridgeway,  of  Shawneetown,  was  elected  state 
treasurer  on  the  Republican  ticket.  The  campaign  of  1876  was  a  nota- 
ble one.  Shelby  M.  Cullom  was  the  Republican  candidate  for  gover- 
nor, while  the  Democratic  leader  was  Lewis  Steward,  who  was  also  the 
nominee  for  governor  of  the  Independent  Greenback-Reformers.  Cul- 
lom was  elected  by  the  small  margin  of  seven  thousand. 

RAILROAD  STRIKE  OP  1877 

The  great  railroad  strike  of  July,  1877,  brought  vexing  problems  to 
the  new  governor.  Capital  and  labor  were  at  swords'  points,  men  were 
restless  everywhere,  and  acts  of  violence  were  reported  from  many 
quarters.  The  situation  became  serious  at  many  points,  and  troops 
were  ordered  out.  At  East  St.  Louis  cars  of  grain,  flour,  live  stock,  and 
merchandise  were  congested  in  the  railroad  yards  and  the  railroads 
were  powerless  to  move  their  trains.  "The  Second  and  Third  brigades 
had  been  ordered  to  East  St.  Louis,  where  the  mob,  estimated  at  10,000, 
was  terrorizing  the  citizens  and  setting  the  civil  authorities  at  defiance. 
.  .  .  So  wise  and  judicious  had  been  the  arrangements  that  by  July 
31,  the  trouble  was  at  an  end." 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  341 

The  campaign  of  1880  was  not  a  vigorous  one.  The  Democrats 
named  Trumbull  for  governor  and  the  Republicans  nominated  Cuiiom. 
Prominent  Southern  Illinois  Republicans  who  took  part  in  the  campaign 
were:  Gen.  Green  B.  Raum,  Thos.  S.  Ridgeway,  Gen.  John  A.  Logan, 
Gen.  C.  W.  Pavey,  Thos.  B.  Needles,  James  McCartney.  Among  the 
Democrats  from  Southern  Illinois  were :  Samuel  S.  Marshall,  Wm.  A.  J. 
Sparks,  Wm.  R.  Morrison,  John  R.  Thomas,  R.  W.  Townshend. 

THE  EIGHTIES  AND  NINETIES 

In  1882  Hon.  Henry  Raab,  Democrat,  of  Belleville,  was  elected 
state  superintendent  of  public  instruction,  over  Hon.  Chas.  T.  Stratton, 
of  Mt.  Vernon.  Among  the  prominent  ''Egyptians"  who  were  coming 
into  the  public  eye  were:  David  B.  Gillham,  Madison  county;  Henry 
Seiter,  St.  Clair,  Wm.  S.  Morris,  Pope,  and  Daniel  Hogan,  Pulaski ; 
David  T.  Linegar,  Alexander;  Milo  Erwin,  Williamson;  Seth  Crews 
and  G.  F.  Varnell  of  Jefferson ;  J.  B.  Messic,  St.  Clair,  and  R.  W.  Mc- 
Cartney, Massac. 

Gen.  Richard  Oglesby  was  elected  governor  in  1884  over  Carter  H. 
Harrison.  In  1886  John  R.  Tanner  of  Clay  county  was  elected  state 
treasurer.  Serious  labor  troubles  occurred  in  different  parts  of  the 
state  in  the  summer  of  1886.  At  East  St.  Louis  the  railroad  employes 
struck  and  the  militia  was  needed  to  restore  order.  Four  men  were 
killed  and  several  wounded  before  the  end  of  the  matter.  The  gover- 
nor was  severely  criticized  for  not  taking  hold  of  the  matter  sooner, 
but  he  defended  himself  on  the  ground  that  St.  Clair  had  enough  good 
citizens  to  suppress  the  disorders  and  the  burden  was  upon  the  sheriff 
for  not  calling  the  posse-comitatus. 

Governor  Joseph  W.  Fifer  served  from  January,  1889,  to  January, 
1893.  Gen.  C.  W.  Pavey  of  Mt.  Vernon  was  state  auditor  for  the  same 
period.  New  men  from  Southern  Illinois  in  the  political  field  were: 
James  R.  Campbell,  Hamilton  county ;  Joseph  W.  Rickert,  Monroe ;  Da- 
vid W.  Karraker,  Union;  James  M.  Fowler,  Marion,  and  Robt.  B. 
Stinson,  Union. 

John  P.  Altgeld  of  Chicago  was  elected  governor  over  Governor 
Fifer  in  1892.  During  Governor  Altgeld 's  term  there  was  much  ad- 
vance in  various  lines.  He  was  a  great  friend  of  education  and  two 
normal  schools,  one  at  DeKalb  and  one  at  Chesterton  were  established. 
The  lieutenant  governor  under  Mr.  Altgeld  was  Joseph  B.  Gill  of 
Jackson  county. 

THE  WORLD'S  FAIR 

The  Chicago  Inter-State  Exposition,  an  organization  of  the  city  of 
Chicago,  first  suggested  the  holding  of  a  World's  fair,  in  Chicago  to 
celebrate  the  discovery  of  America.  The  enterprise  met  with  favor 
throughout  the  country.  Senator  Cullom  succeeded  in  getting  a  bill 
through  congress  locating  the  fair  in  Chicago,  and  also  an  appropria- 
tion of  a  large  sum  for  an  exhibit.  A  corporation  was  formed  in  Chi- 
cago with  a  capital  of  $10.000.000. 

It  was  soon  seen  that  the  fair  could  not  be  successfully  held  in  1892, 
and  the  date  was  changed  to  1893.  This  was  a  great  exposition.  Nearly 


342  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

every  civilized  country  on  the  globe  sent  commissioners  and  exhibits. 
Illinois  had  a  most  magnificent  exhibit  in  a  spacious  building  of  won- 
derfully beautiful  architectural  design.  Nearly  a  million  dollars  was 
expended  by  the  state  in  the  building  and  exhibits. 

The  fair  was  a  great  means  of  advertising  the  state  and  particularly 
the  city  of  Chicago.  The  White  City  by  the  lake  will  remain  a  vision 
of  beauty  and  a  joy  forever  in  the  minds  of  all  who  beheld  its  classic 
proportions.  In  the  session  of  the  legislature  which  convened  in  1891, 
there  was  a  number  of  laws  passed  which  were  really  meritorious. 
Among  them  may  be  mentioned — the  setting  aside  of  the  first  Monday 
in  September  as  Labor  Day,  a  legal  holiday ;  reducing  the  rate  of  inter- 


VIEW  OF  KASKASKIA  PROM  FORT  GAGE  TAKEN  ABOUT  1892 
DISSOLUTION  OF  OLD  KASKASKIA 

est  to  five  per  cent  with  seven  per  cent  as  the  maximum  by  contract; 
providing  for  registration  of  voters  every  two  years. 

For  several  years  prior  to  1891,  the  Mississippi  river  had  been  cut- 
ting across  the  peninsula  and  finally  reached  the  Kaskaskia.  It  then 
began  to  encroach  upon  the  town.  The  north  and  east  parts  of  the 
village  began  to  disappear  in  the  river.  The  cemetery  would  soon  be 
engulfed.  The  legislature  of  the  year  1891  appropriated  $10,000  for 
the  purpose  of  securing  a  new  burying  ground  and  for  moving  the  bod- 
ies to  the  new  site. 

About  three  thousand  bodies  were  removed  in  1892-3,  the  new  site 
lying  near  to  old  Fort  Gage  on  the  east  side  of  the  river.  A  large 
monument  was  erected  in  the  new  cemetery  bearing  this  inscription : 
"Those  who  sleep  here  were  first  buried  at  Kaskaskia,  and  afterwards 
removed  to  this  cemetery.  They  were  the  early  pioneers  of  the  great 
Mississippi  valley.  They  planted  free  institutions  in  a  wilderness,  and 
were  the  founders  of  a  great  commonwealth.  In  memory  of  their  sacri- 
fices, Illinois  gratefully  erects  this  monument.  1892." 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


343 


Little  is  now  left  of  the  once  proud  center  of  fashion  and  power. 
As  one  walks  in  and  out  among  a  few  old  cabins  still  remaining,  and 
through  a  portion  of  the  old  grave  yard,  he  is  carried  back  over  a  pe- 
riod of  one  hundred  and  fifty  years  to  the  thriving,  bustling  capital  of 
the  "Illinois  Country,"  to  Kaskaskia,  the  largest  city  west  of  the  Alle- 
ghany  mountains. 

PROM  ALTGELD  TO  DENEEN 

Governor  Altgeld  was  succeeded  by  John  R.  Tanner.  Mr,  Tanner 
was  a  real  Egyptian.  His  home  was  Louisville,  Clay  county.  He  had 
been  actively  engaged  in  politics  for  several  years  prior  to  his  election 


MONUMENT  ERECTED  BY  THE  STATE  IN  HONOR  OF  THE  EARLY  PIONEERS 
OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

to  the  position  of  chief  executive.  He  had  been  sheriff  and  circuit  clerk 
of  Clay  county;  state  senator,  and  state  treasurer;  United  States  mar- 
shal, and  railroad  and  ware-house  commissioner;  and  assistant  United 
States  sub-treasurer  at  Chicago.  And  now  in  1896  he  is  elected  gov- 
ernor over  his  predecessor,  John  P.  Altgeld. 

Richard  Yates,  son  of  the  old  "war  governor,"  was  elected  gover- 
nor in  1900.  In  Governor  Yates'  term  occurred  the  World's  Exposi- 
tion at  St.  Louis  in  1904.  This  exposition  was  to  celebrate  the  purchase 
of  the  Louisiana  territory  from  Prance  in  1803.  Southern  Illinois 
made  exhibits  along  many  lines.  Probably  the  most  striking  exhibit 
was  the  display  of  the  coals  of  Southern  Illinois. 

The  campaign  of  the  1904  resulted  in  the  election  of  Charles  S.  De- 
ncen,  of  Chicago,  governor.  He  is  a  product  of  Southern  Illinois,  his 
father  having  been  a  teacher  in  McKendree  college  for  many  years.  He 
snoceeded  himself  in  1908,  and  a  candidate  for  a  third  term. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 
JOURNALISM 

FIKST  ILLINOIS  NEWSPAPERS — SLAVERY  QUESTION  STIMULATES  JOURNAL- 
ISM— UNCERTAINTIES  OP  PIONEER  JOURNALISM — ABLE  OLD-TIME  EDIT- 
ORS— LATER  STIMULATING  ISSUES — PAPERS  FORCED  TO  SUSPEND — 
FOUNDED  PRIOR  TO  1880. 

The  history  of  journalism  in  Illinois  is  the  record  of  the  growth 
of  a  territory  of  15,000  souls  and  one  newspaper,  to  a  commonwealth 
of  more  than  six  million  people  and  publications  numbering  more  than 
one  thousand.  Probably  no  other  state  west  of  the  Alleghanies  can 
boast  of  a  more  successful  career  in  all  the  phases  of  journalistic  en- 
deavor than  can  Illinois.  When  we  remember  the  character  of  the  early 
presses  and  other  parts  of  a  newspaper  equipment,  the  absence  of  large 
centers  of  population  in  the  territory  west  of  the  Alleghanies,  the  meager 
means  of  communication,  and  the  lack  of  real  newsy  news,  it  is  a  matter 
of  some  surprise  when  we  are  told  that  with  the  first  decade  after  the 
adoption  of  the  constitution  for  Illinois  there  were  as  many  as  five 
newspapers  flourishing  in  Southern  Illinois. 

The  first  newspaper  established  in  Illinois  was  the  Illinois  Herald, 
and  the  place  of  publication  was  Kaskaskia.  The  earliest  issue  pre- 
served is  No.  30,  Volume  1,  December,  1814,  "by  Mathew  Duncan,  printer 
to  the  territory  and  publisher  of  The  Laws  of  the  Nation." 

FIRST  ILLINOIS  NEWSPAPERS 

By  this  it  would  appear  that  the  Herald  was  an  official  organ.  It 
is  understood  that  newspapers  had  been  previously  published  in  both 
Vincennes  and  St.  Louis.  The  Herald  was  a  four  column  paper  given 
over  to  publishing  the  laws  chiefly.  The  second  paper  established  was 
the  Illinois  Emigrant.  It  was  published  in  Shawneetown,  and  was  con- 
trolled by  Henry  Eddy  and  Singleton  H.  Kimmel.  The  date  is  fixed  as 
early  as  December  1818,  probably  in  September  1818.  The  Emigrant 
was  also  a  four  column  sheet  and  contained  recent  news  which  came 
from  Pittsburgh  by  boat.  In  1819  the  name  was  changed  to  Illinois 
Gazette.  It  eventually  came  into  the  hands  of  James  Hall  who  was  a 
man  of  rare  literary  accomplishments. 

The  third  paper  was  the  Spectator,  published  in  Edwardsville.  It 
was  established  by  Hooper  Warren  who  was  assisted  by  George 
Churchill.  The  Spectator  was  strongly  anti-slavery.  The  first  number 
was  issued  some  time  in  1819. 

The  fourth  paper  was  The  Star  of  the  West.    It  too  was  published  in 

344 


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346  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

Edwardsville  as  early  as  1822.  Its  editor  was  one  Mr.  Miller  assisted 
by  a  Mr.  Stine.  The  paper  was  Democratic.  Its  name  was  changed  to 
the  Illinois  Republican  in  1823. 

The  fifth  paper  was  the  Republican  Advocate  established  in  Kas- 
kaskia  as  early  as  1823.  It  was  a  pro-slavery  paper  and  was  edited  by  R. 
K.  Fleming,  probably  assisted  by  Elias  Kent  Kane. 

SLAVERY  QUESTION  STIMULATES  JOURNALISM 

Prior  to  the  action  of  the  Legislature  in  1823  calling  for  a  vote  upon 
the  question  of  a  state  convention,  the  newspapers  seemed  to  have  but 
little  life  in  them.  The  news  which  came  from  the  Atlantic  sea-board 
was  several  days  and  even  weeks  old  before  it  reached  the  Illinois 
region.  There  was  little  to  be  said  of  the  every  day  life  of  the  people, 
for  that  life  was  so  simple  and  uneventful  that  there  was  little  to  be 
recorded.  But  with  the  passage  of  the  bill  which  brought  the  slavery 
question  before  the  people  each  paper  became  a  sort  of  forum  for  public 
discussion.  The  Spectator  published  at  Edwardsville  was  very  strong 
against  the  convention.  It  was  a  pronounced  anti-slavery  publication. 
It  was  the  only  paper  which  was  opposed  to  slavery  on  principle,  and 
up  to  the  early  part  of  1824  stood  alone  against  making  Illinois  a  slave 
state.  The  Gazette  of  Shawneetown  was  on  the  fence  as  to  the  conven- 
tion, but  received  contributions  from  both  sides.  It  is  certain  that 
Morris  Birkbeck  and  George  Flower  of  Albion  would  have  started  an 
anti-convention  paper,  had  not  the  columns  of  the  Shawneetown  Gazette 
been  open  to  their  contributions.  Putting  together  all  the  information 
available  it  is  certain  the  management  of  the  paper  favored  the  conven- 
tion till  the  early  part  of  May,  1824,  when  a  change  in  ownership  brought 
a  change  in  attitude  toward  the  convention  and  during  the  summer  of 
1824  the  Gazette  was  anti-convention.  The  Illinois  Intelligencer  of  Van- 
dalia  was  owned  by  William  Berry  and  William  H.  Brown.  The  latter 
was  anti-convention  while  the  former  favored  slavery.  Berry  was 
bought  out  by  Governor  Coles  and  the  paper  became  a  hard  fighter 
against  slavery.  The  Star  of  the  West  founded  in  Edwardsville  in  1822 
was  changed  to  the  Illinois  Republican  in  1823.  It  was  pro-slavery,  and 
attempted  to  counteract  the  influence  of  the  Spectator.  It  was  controlled 
by  Judge  Theophilus  W.  Smith  and  Emanuel  J.  West.  The  Republican 
Advocate  of  Kaskaskia  was  pro-convention.  It  was  controlled  by  R.  K. 
Fleming  and  Elias  Kent  Kane.  It  thus  appears  that  there  were  three 
papers  against  slavery  and  two  for  slavery. 

UNCERTAINTIES  OF  PIONEER  JOURNALISM 

One  serious  drawback  in  this  early  period  to  the  newspaper  busi- 
ness was  the  uncertainty  of  receiving  ink,  paper  and  other  supplies  from 
the  east.  One  paper  was  suspended  for  three  weeks  because  of  the 
failure  of  ink  and  paper  from  Cincinnati.  It  has  been  pointed  out  that 
the  newspapers  of  those  days  dealt  largely  with  political  matters  and 
neglected  personal  and  local  affairs,  and  that  for  two  years  from  1822  to 
1824,  the  character  was  controversial  and  often  bitter.  One  thing  that 
has  been  noticed  is  that  the  real  owners  of  those  early  newspapers  were 
usually  silent  partners.  Among  the  prominent  men  of  the  day  who 
were  more  or  less  financially  and  morally  interested  in  the  newspapers 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  347 

were — Sidney  Breese,  John  McLean,  Hooper  Warren,  Gov.  John  Rey- 
nolds, Daniel  P.  Cook,  James  Hall,  Elias  Kent  Kane,  Ninian  Edwards, 
and  Henry  Eddy.  In  addition  to  these  men  there  was  a  large  number 
of  contributors  among  whom  we  may  mention  Morris  Birkbeck,  George 
Flower,  John  Russell,  Rev.  John  M.  Peck,  Judge  James  Hall  and  a 
host  of  others. 

The  War  of  1812,  the  admission  of  Illinois  into  the  union,  and  the 
slavery  struggle  made  an  abundance  of  political  capital  for  the  earliest 
newspapers.  In  1825  the  papers  could  turn  their  attention  to  such  sub- 
jects as  immigration,  new  towns,  new  counties,  public  roads,  navigation, 
establishment  of  schools,  and  internal  improvements. 

ABLE  OLD-TIME  EDITORS 

It  must  not  be  thought  that  there  was  no  literary  ability  among  the 
pioneers  of  1820  to  1840.  On  the  contrary  there  were  several  men  of 
wonderful  native  ability  in  the  domain  of  real  literature.  James  Hall 
a  man  of  unusual  literary  skill  began  the  publication  of  the  first  maga-. 
zine  in  Illinois.  It  was  called  the  Illinois  Monthly  Magazine.  The  pub- 
lication was  begun  in  1830.  It  was  published  one  year  at  Vandalia  and 
then  removed  to  Cincinnati.  Here  the  magazine  was  continued  under 
the  name  of  the  Western  Monthly  Magazine.  Among  those  who  con- 
tributed to  Mr.  Hall's  magazine  were  Morris  Birkbeck,  Rev.  John  M. 
Peck,  Governor  Edward  Coles,  Dr.  Asa  Fitch,  George  Russell  and  Sal- 
mon P.  Chase.  In  1854  Mr.  Hall  brought  out  the  Legends  of  the  West, 
a  collection  of  a  dozen  tales  descriptive  of  the  life  of  the  west.  The 
longest  one  was  Harpe's  Head.  Others  were  The  Backwoodsman,  The 
Seventh  Son,  The  Indian  Wife's  Lament,  The  Emigrants,  etc.  The 
book  was  published  in  New  York  and  had  a  generous  patronage. 

As  has  been  intimated  the  people  were  free  after  the  convention  fight 
was  over  to  turn  their  attention  to  other  and  more  profitable  subjects. 
The  state  grew  rapidly  after  1824.  The  Sangamon  country  was  opened 
up,  the  Military  Tract  was  settled,  Chicago  was  large  enough  to  be  char- 
tered in  1832,  and  villages  and  towns  were  spreading  northward  toward 
the  future  capital  of  the  state.. 

The  Western  Emporium,  a  newspaper  published  in  Centerville,  In- 
diana, estimated  that  in  the  fall  of  1825  within  fifteen  days  as  many  as 
one  hundred  and  twenty  wagons  passed  through  that  town  destined  for 
the  prairies  of  Illinois.  Transportation  facilities  improved ;  steam  boats 
were  plying  the  Illinois  river  by  1828,  the  legislature  had  authorized  the 
opening  up  of  roads  connecting  various  important  towns  and  rivers  in 
the  central  part  of  the  state.  The  Black  Hawk  war  checked  immigra- 
tion somewhat,  but  by  1834  the  normal  condition  was  restored.  The 
Internal  Improvement  schemes  of  1836-7  greatly  stimulated  immigra- 
tion into  the  central  part  of  the  state. 

Springfield  in  the  center  of  Sangamon  county  was  settled  in  1819. 
In  1821  it  was  selected  as  the  county  seat  of  Sangamon  county.  In  1837 
it  contained  eight  hundred  people.  Jacksonville  was  as  big  as 
Springfield  in  1837  and  the  Military  Tract  contained  thirteen  thousand 
people.  Peoria  county  contained  twelve  hundred  people  in  1825. 

It  was  natural  to  expect  that  the  printing  press  and  the  newspaper 
would  follow  this  northward  movement  of  population.  The  Miner's 
Journal  was  established  in  Galena  in  1826.  Its  editors  were  James 


348  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

Jones,  and  Thomas  Ford,  later  governor  of  the  state.  The  Miner's  Jour- 
nal took  an  active  part  in  politics  though  claiming  to  be  non-partisan. 

The  Sangannan  Spectator  was  begun  in  Springfield  in  1827,  the  edi- 
tor being  Hooper  Warren.  Jacksonville  launched  the  Western  Observer 
in  1830.  It  was  published  by  James  G.  Edwards  and  was  "Devoted  to 
politics,  education  and  religion."  The  Alton  Spectator  appeared  in 
1832.  For  a  while  it  was  published  in  Upper  Alton  but  in  the  fall  of 
1832  it  was  moved  to  what  we  call  Alton.  The  first  paper  in  Chicago 
was  the  Democrat.  It  appeared  in  November  1833  and  was  edited  by 
John  Calhoun,  and  later  by  John  Wentworth. 

Prior  to  1840  as  many  as  nineteen  newspapers  were  established  be- 
tween Alton  and  Chicago  by  way  of  the  Illinois  river  and  the  Canal. 
The  census  report  of  1840  shows  that  there  were  forty -five  printing  offices 
in  the  state.  At  that  time  there  were  three  daily  newspapers,  thirty -eight 
weekly  papers,  nine  periodicals,  and  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  men 
employed  in  the  forty-five  printing  establishments,  with  seventy-one 
thousand  dollars  invested  in  this  business. 

The  Rev.  John  M.  Peck  began  the  publication  of  the  Pioneer  of  the 
Valley  of  the  Mississippi  at  Rock  Springs,  near  the  present  town  of  Leb- 
anon, St.  Clair  county,  April  25,  1825.  It  was  a  Baptist  journal  and  was 
largely  supported  by  gifts  of  eastern  people  of  that  religious  faith.  It 
was  moved  to  Alton  in  1836,  and  in  1839  was  merged  with  the  Baptist 
Banner  published  at  Louisville,  Ky. 

LATER  STIMULATING  ISSUES 

The  Illinois  State  Temperance  Society  began  the  publication  in  Al- 
ton in  1836  of  the  Illinois  Temperance  Herald,  a  monthly  journal  which 
waged  a  bitter  fight  against  intemperance.  In  1840  occurred  the  great 
"Harrison  and  Tyler"  compaign,  and  this  opened  up  a  newspaper  war 
that  was  as  bitter  as  the  one  over  the  slavery  question  of  1824.  Many 
new  papers  were  started  to  champion  the  cause  of  some  one  or  more  of 
the  candidates,  and  when  the  election  was  over  the  publication  of  such 
papers  was  abandoned.  In  like  manner  in  the  years  just  preceding  the 
Civil  war  there  was  great  activity  in  the  founding  of  newspapers.  There 
were  many  papers  bold  enough  to  attack  the  administration  in  the  dark 
days  of  '63,  and  many  of  these  were  dealt  with  summarily  by  the  gov- 
ernment. Others  were  raided  by  mobs  who  had  become  indignant  at  the 
bold  criticisms  of  the  president  or  at  the  sympathy  expressed  for  the 
secessionists.  Eight  papers  were  forced  to  suspend  operations  in  Illi- 
nois. These  were  located  in  Bloomington,  Chester,  Chicago,  Jonesboro, 
Maroa,  Mason,  Mendota  and  Olney.  Three  of  these  it  will  be  noticed 
were  located  in  Southern  Illinois. 

PAPERS  FORCED  TO  SUSPEND 

Volume  VI  of  the  Illinois  Historical  Collections  gives  an  account  of 
the  action  of  the  government  in  suspending  the  publication  of  the  Jones- 
boro Gazette.  It  is  as  follows:  "A  temporary  suppression  without  vio- 
lence or  material  damage  was  enforced  against  the  Jonesboro  Gazette  in 
the  spring  of  1863.  Lieut.  Colonel  Joseph  H.  Newbold  was  sent  to 
Jonesboro  with  a  part  of  the  Fourteenth  Iowa  Volunteer  Infantry  to 
gather  up  and  return  to  the  service  a  number  of  deserters  from  the  One 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  349 

Hundred  and  Ninth  Illinois  Infantry,  who  had  returned  to  their  homes. 
His  work  was  seriously  impeded  by  the  radical  utterances  of  the  Gazette, 
which,  like  a  majority  of  its  constituents,  was  bitterly  against  the  war. 
Consequently  he  closed  the  office  during  the  six  weeks  of  his  stay.  Col. 
Newbold  so  conducted  himself,  however,  as  to  make  many  warm  friends, 
and  helped  materially  to  change  local  sentiment  toward  the  government. 
As  a  resident  of  Jonesboro  at  that  time,  still  living,  has  written,  'the 
episode  turned  out  very  well.'  '  The  Loyalist,  published  by  George 
Brewster  at  Mason,  Effingham  county,  was  so  outspoken  in  favor  of 
abolition  of  slavery  that  those  who  sympathized  with  slavery  forced  the 
suspension  of  the  paper  and  the  editor  moved.  The  Picket  Guard  of 
Chester  was  so  strongly  tinctured  with  secession  that  some  soldiers  broke 
into  the  office  in  July,  1864,  and  destroyed  the  type  but  did  not  damage 
the  press.  At  Olney  the  Press  was  said  to  be  so  radical  in  sympathy  for 
secession  that  it  was  forced  to  suspend  in  1864. 

The  origin  of  the  "patent  inside"  is  told  as  follows:  A.  N.  Kellogg 
of  the  Baraboo,  Wisconsin,  Republic,  was  unable  to  print  a  full  folio 
because  his  printers  had  enlisted  in  the  army.  He  printed  one  side  of 
the  folio  on  his  own  press,  the  other  side  having  been  printed  in  Madi- 
son. The  plan  worked  well  and  afterwards  Mr.  Kellogg  had  the  Madison 
Journal  get  out  the  "inside"  of  his  paper  regularly.  From  this  the 
plan  grew  to  the  present  "boiler  plate"  arrangement.  As  early  as  1866 
the  Belleville  Advocate  was  furnishing  "insides"  for  several  papers  in 
Southern  Illinois. 

The  newspaper  business  declined  after  the  close  of  the  Civil  war. 
There  was,  however,  some  growth  in  monthly  journals  and  similar  pub- 
lications. There  were  only  three  counties  in  Southern  Illinois  which 
supported  daily  publications  in  1880.  These  were  Alexander  with  three 
dailies :  Madison  with  two ;  and  St.  Clair  with  three  dailies. 

FOUNDED  PRIOR  TO  1880 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  first  papers  published  in  the  several 
counties  of  Southern  Illinois  prior  to  1880.  The  counties  are  arranged 
in  alphabetical  order.  Under  the  county  comes  the  town,  name  of  the 
paper,  and  the  year  the  paper  was  established,  then  the  editors,  when 
their  names  can  be  had. 

Alexander  County. 

Cairo.     Gazette.     1841.     Editor,  Mr.  McNeer. 

Bond  County. 

Greenville.     Protestant  Monitor.     1845.     Editor,  E.  M.  Lathrop. 

Clark  County. 

Richmond.     Index.     1879.     Editor,  G.  L.  Watson. 

Marshall.     Illinois  State  Journal.     1848.     Editors,  John  M.  Crane, 

Nathan  Willard. 
Casey.     Times.     1872.     Editors,  John  Garrison  &  Nathan  Willard. 

Clay  County. 

Flora.  Southern  Illinois  Journal.  1870.  Editors,  M.  L.  Wilson, 
J.  K.  Clarkson. 

Clay  City.     Times.     1879.     Editor,  Unknown. 

Louisville.  Jackson  Democrat.  1859.  Editor,  Thomas  H.  Daw- 
son. 


350  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

Crawford  County. 

Palestine.    The  Ruralist.    1856.  Editor,  Samuel  R.  Jones. 

Hutsonville.     Wabash  Sentinel.  1852.     Editor,  George  W.  Cutler. 

Robinson.     The   Gazette.     1857.  Editor,   George  W.  Harper. 

Clinton  County. 

Huey.     Clement  Register.     1875.     Editor,  J.  W.  Peterson. 
Carlyle.     The  Beacon.     1843.     Editor,  George  W.  Price. 
Trenton.     Courier.     1873.     Editor,  E.  H.  Elliff. 

Cumberland  County. 

Toledo.    Register.     1876.     Editor,  D.  B.  Sherwood. 
Neoga.     Advertiser.     1874.     Editor,   S.  Z.   Bland. 
Majority  Point.     Cumberland  Democrat.     1869.     Editor,  B.  Prank 
Bowen. 

Edwards  County. 

Albion.     Independent.     1865.     Editor,  J.  E.  Clark. 

Effingham  County. 

Effingham.    Pioneer.     1860.     Editor,   J.   W.   Filler. 
Mason.     Loyalist.     1863.     Editor,  George  Brewster. 

Fayette  County. 

St.  Elmo.     News.     1875.     Editors,  Johnson  &  Ramsey. 

Vandalia.     Illinois  Intelligencer.     1820.     Editor,   Elijah  C.  Berry. 

Farina.     News.     1877.     Editor,  Ed.  Freeman. 

Franklin  County. 

Ewing.    Baptist  Banner.    1874.    Editors,  Kelley  &  Allen. 
Benton.     Standard.     1849.     Editor,   Ira   Nortwick. 

Gallatin  County. 

Shawneetown.     Illinois   Emigrant.      1818.      Editors,   Henry    Eddy 
&  Singleton  H.  Kimmel. 

Hamilton  County. 

McLeansboro.     News.     1855.     Editor,  J.  D.  Moody. 

Hardin  County. 

Elizabeth  town.     Hardin     Mineral.      1870.      Editor,     Solomon     S. 
Burke. 

Jackson  County. 

Murphysboro.     Jackson    Democrat.      1870.      Editors,     George     C. 

Bierer,  F.  C.  Bierer. 

Grand  Tower.     Item.     1875.     Editor,  M.  F.  Swartzcope. 
De   Soto.     Farmer.     1855.     Editor,   James  Hull. 
Carbondale.     Transcript.     1857.     Editor,  J.  A.  Hull. 
Ava.     Register.     1876.     Editor,  George  Jahn. 

Jasper  County. 

Newton.     Enquirer.     1856.     Editor,  George  E.  Hoar. 

Jefferson  County. 

Mt.   Vernon.     Jeffersonian.     1851.     Editors,    John    S.    Began,   Mr. 
Stickney. 

Johnson  County. 

Vienna.     Egyptian  Artery.     1865.     Editors,  Wright  &  Company. 
New   Burnsides.     Johnson   County   Journal.     1874.     Editor,   A.   J. 
Allen. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  351 

Lawrence  County. 

Sumner.    Lawrence  County  Press.    Editor,  James  A.  Ilger. 
Lawrenceville.     Star  Spangled  Banner.     1847.     Editor,  J.  F.  Bun- 
tin. 

Madison  County. 

Highland.     Erzaehler.     1859.     Editors,   Rudolph  Stadtmann,  John 

Harlan. 

Collinsville.     Argus.     1871.     Editor,  A.  W.  Angier. 
Alton.     Spectator.     1832.     Editors,  O.  M.  Adams,  Edward  Breath. 
Edwardsville.     Spectator.     1819.     Editor,  Hooper  Warren. 
Upper  Alton.     Qui  Vive.     1868.     Editors,  College  Students. 
Troy.     Weekly  Bulletin.     1873.     Editor,  James  M.  Jarvis. 

Marion  County. 

Richview.     Phoenix.     1856.     Editor,  M.  L.  McCord. 

Sandoval.     Prairie  Farmer.     1861.     Editor,  Not  known. 

Salem.     Weekly  Advocate.     1851.     Editors,  John  W.  Merritt,  John 

H.  Merritt. 

Centralia.     Gazette.     1856.     Editor,    Gall  &  Omelvany. 
Central  City.     Gazette.     1854.     Editor,  Edward  Schiller. 
Kinmundy.    Telegram.    1867.    Editor,  Colonel  John  W.  Fuller. 
Odin.     Southern  Illinois  Journal.     Editor,  Mr.  Wilson. 

Massac  County. 

Metropolis.     Promulgator.     1865.     Editor,  J.  F.  McCartney. 

Monroe  County. 

Waterloo.    Republican.    1843.    Editor,  Elam  Rust. 

Perry  County. 

Pinckneyville.     Perry     County     Times.     1856.      Editor,     William 
Ewing. 

DuQuoin.    Mining  Journal.    1858.     Editor,  Paul  Watkins. 

Tamaroa.    Egyptian  Spy.    1861.    Editor  not  known. 

Pope  County. 

Golconda.     Herald.     1857.     Editor,  James  D.  Monday. 

Pulaski  County. 

Mound  City.     National  Emporium.     1856.     Editor,  Dr.  Z.  Caster- 
line. 
Caledonia.     Pulaski  Democrat.      Editor,  Mr.  Miller. 

Randolph  County. 

Sparta.     Columbus  Herald.     1839.     Editor,  James  Morrow. 
Chester.     Southern  Illinois  Advocate.    1839.     Editors,  John  Smith, 

H.  M.  Abbott. 

Kaskaskia.     Illinois  Herald.     1814.     Editor,  Mathew  Duncan. 
Red  Bud.     Egyptian.     1868.     Editors,  John  Briskey,  William  Bris- 

key. 
Coulterville.     Chronicle.     1879.     Editor,  John  A.  Wall. 

Richland  County. 

Olney.     News.     1849.     Editors,  Daniel  Cox,  Alfred  Kitchell. 

Saline  County. 

Stone  Fort.     Journal.     1874.     Editor,  A.  J.  Alden. 
Harrisburg.     Chronicle.     1859.     Editor,  John  F.   Conover. 


352  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

St.  Clair  County. 

O 'Fallen.    Advance.     1874.     Editor,  T.  W.  Eckert. 

New  Athens.    Era.     1869.     Editors,  Bauman  &  Schild. 

Maseoutah.     News  Letter.     1860.     Editor,  August  Hamilton. 

Lebanon,  111.  Advocate  &  Lebanon  Journal.  1848.  Editor,  E. 
Wentworth. 

East  St.  Louis.  American  Bottom  Gazette.  1841.  Editors,  Sum- 
rix  &  Jarrott. 

Rock  Spring.  Pioneer  of  the  Valley  of  the  Mississippi.  1829.  Ed- 
itor, John  Mason  Peck. 

Belleville.     Western  News.     1826.     Editor,  Dr.  Joseph  Green. 

Union  County. 

Cobden.     Enterprise.     1877.     Editor,  W.  H.  Mitchell. 
Anna.     Union  County  Record.     1860.     Editor,  W.  H.  Mitchell. 
Jonesboro.      Gazette.     1849.      Editors,    Thomas    J.    Finley,    John 
Evans. 

Wabash  County. 

Mt.  Carmel.  Sentinel  &  Wabash  Advocate.  1834.  Editor,  Horace 
Roney. 

Washington  County. 

Nashville.     New  Era.     1851.     Editor,  P.  W.  Skinner. 
Ashley.    Enquirer.     1856.     Editor,  M.  L.  McCord. 

Wayne  County. 

Fairfield.     Independent  Press.     1852.     Editor,  John  M.  Walden. 

White  County. 

Grayville.    News.     1853.     Editor,  J.  James  Prather. 
Enfield.     Journal.     1874.     Editor,  Lemuel  Potter. 
Norris  City.    Journal.    1874.     Editor,  A.  J.  Alden. 

Williamson  County. 

Marion.  Western  Family  Monitor.  1850.  Editor,  William  H. 
Willeford. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 
TRANSPORTATION 

EARLY  RIVER  BOATS — SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  WATERWAYS — PIONEER  TRAILS 
AND  ROADS — GOVERNMENT  HIGHWAYS — THE  NATIONAL  ROAD — WORK 
OP  THE  STATE. 

Southern  Illinois  is  very  fortunate  in  its  geographical  situation. 
It  is  in  reality  a  peninsula  projecting  southward  and  terminating  in 
the  point  of  land  upon  which  Cairo  is  situated.  The  Mississippi  river 
runs  along  the  entire  western  side  of  the  state,  while  the  Wabash  and 
the  Ohio  form  the  boundary  on  the  east  from  Cairo  to  a  point  above  Vin- 
cennes. 

The  Mississippi  was  early  discovered  and  traversed  by  the  French. 
Marquette  and  Joliet  navigated  hundreds  of  miles  of  its  central  third, 
while  La  Salle  and  Hennepin  completed  the  exploration  to  its  mouth 
and  practically  to  the  source.  The  Ohio  is  said  to  have  been  discovered 
by  La  Salle,  but  of  this  we  are  not  certain.  The  Wabash  comes  into 
notice  in  the  latter  part  of  the  seventeenth  century,  and  was  early  dis- 
covered to  be  a  branch  of  the  Ohio.  Vincennes  dates  its  history  from 
1702,  and  from  that  time  till  the  coming  of  Clark  in  1778  the  French 
were  continually  on  the  waters  of  these  three  rivers. 

In  the  conquest  of  this  western  country  by  Gen.  Clark  the  Ohio,  par- 
ticularly, played  an  important  part.  After  the  conquest  there  was  a 
constant  stream  of  immigration  on  the  Ohio  moving  toward  Indiana, 
Illinois  and  Missouri. 

EARLY  RIVER  BOATS 

The  earlier  boats  were  of  the  flat-boat  type.  These  were  made  by 
placing  two  "gunnels"  side  by  side  and  framing  them  together  and 
constructing  thereon  the  hull  of  the  boat.  The  "gunnels"  were  obtained 
as  follows:  A  large  sized  tree  some  sixty  or  eighty  feet  tall  was  felled 
and  split  into  halves.  The  rounding  sides  were  hewn  off  so  the  gunnel 
as  it  stood  on  edges  was  six  or  eight  inches  in  thickness  and  some  three 
to  five  feet  broad,  and  some  sixty  to  seventy  feet  long.  These  were 
placed  on  edge  side  by  side  some  ten  or  twelve  feet  apart.  The  two 
"gunnels"  were  framed  together  by  means  of  strong  cross  beams,  their 
upper  ends  rounded  off  something  like  a  sled  runner.  The  boat  was 
partially  constructed  on  land  bottom  up.  The  flooring  or  bottom  was 
laid  and  securely  fastened  to  the  gunnels  by  strong  nails  or  with  wooden 
pins.  When  the  bottom  was  laid  the  boat  was  pushed  into  the  water  and 
there  turned  right  side  up.  It  was  now  made  water  tight.  Cross  beams 

VoL  1    -28 

353 


354  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

were  laid  on  the  gunnels  projecting  on  each,  side  some  two  or  three 
feet.  This  device  made  the  floor  of  the  boat  sixteen  or  eighteen  feet 
wide.  A  crude  railing  was  constructed  around  the  edge  of  the  deck 
and  often  a  small  cabin  was  built  at  one  end  in  which  the  hands  could 
do  their  cooking.  A  roof  was  constructed  over  portions  of  the  boat  for 
shelter  and  sides  arranged  which  kept  out  the  storms.  Pumps  were 
provided  which  might  be  used  in  case  of  heavy  leaks.  A  steering  ap- 
paratus was  attached  to  the  stern  and  the  craft  was  ready  for  its  cargo. 

These  boats  were  often  built  quite  a  ways  up  the  small  rivers  and 
larger  creeks,  and  were  loaded  with  the  produce  of  the  locality  where 
built.  Often  they  were  built  and  offered  for  sale  to  parties  moving  down 
the  Ohio.  The  cargoes  were  corn,  wheat,  meats,  poultry,  eggs,  and  a 
score  of  other  farm  products.  It  was  not  an  unusual  sight  to  see  pigs, 
calves,  geese,  ducks,  and  other  live  stock  as  part  of  the  cargo.  The  boats 
that  were  used  by  families  in  moving  down  the  Ohio  often  discharged 
their  household  goods  at  Shawneetown,  Golconda,  or  at  Cairo.  These 
same  boats  then  were  loaded  with  produce  and  floated  to  New  Orleans. 
The  Mississippi  above  Cairo  was  not  used  for  flatboating  as  much  as 
was  the  Ohio,  although  many  boats  were  built  in  Big  Muddy,  the  Kas- 
kaskia,  and  the  Sangamon.  It  is  generally  known  that  Lincoln  built  a 
flat  boat  and  took  a  cargo  of  produce  from  the  upper  waters  of  the 
Sangamon  to  New  Orleans. 

The  coming  of  the  steam  boat  in  1809  marked  the  beginning  of  the  end 
of  the  flat  boat  business.  The  small  streams  fell  into  disuse  and  the  pio- 
neer flat  boat  builder  was  obliged  to  seek  new  fields  for  his  skill.  Public 
roads  improved,  and  landings  and  river  towns  multiplied.  In  the  balmy 
days  of  river  traffic  a  river  steam  boat  would  average  a  stop  every  two 
or  three  miles.  At  many  of  these  landings  there  were  wood  yards,  and 
to  see  the  negro  roustabouts  bring  in  a  dozen  cords  of  wood  was  a  sight 
not  easily  to  be  forgotten.  The  passenger  traffic  was  large  in  the  de- 
cades just  prior  to  the  Civil  war.  Elegant  state  rooms,  and  well  laden 
tables  made  travel  on  the  Ohio  or  the  Mississippi  a  luxury.  Cairo  be- 
came a  very  thriving  young  city.  From  this  river  port,  transportation 
pointed  in  three  ways — north  up  the  Mississippi,  east  up  the  Ohio,  and 
south  down  the  Father  of  Waters.  Many  noted  travelers  passed  the 
city  at  the  junction  of  the  rivers.  The  oldest  settlers  remember  the 
visits  of  Charles  Dickens,  Gen.  Winfield  Scott,  Charlotte  Cushman,  Lin- 
coln, Douglas,  and  many  others. 

SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  WATERWAYS 

The  use  of  the  Wabash,  Cache,  Kaskaskia,  Saline,  Big  Muddy,  and 
other  Southern  Illinois  rivers  for  purposes  of  travel  and  transportation 
was  of  course  rather  limited.  There  were  to  be  seen  however  flat  boats, 
keel  boats,  rafts,  and  other  forms  of  river  craft.  Small  steamers  have  as- 
cended the  Kaskaskia  as  far  as  Evansville — in  fact  one  went  up  in  the 
region  of  Carlyle  in  1837.  Evansville  produces  large  quantities  of  flour 
and  this  has  been  shipped  via  the  Kaskaskia.  The  upper  courses  of  this 
stream  have  been  used  for  the  transportation  of  logs,  lumber,  and  farm 
produce.  At  New  Athens  there  are  extensive  hard  lumber  interests. 

The  Saline  is  navigable  only  a  short  distance  for  steam  boats.  From 
1800  to  1850  the  manufacture  of  salt  at  the  salt  works  near  Equality 
created  considerable  commerce  on  that  stream.  Hoop  poles  and  barrel 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  355 

material  were  brought  down  from  the  upper  stretches  while  small 
steamers  and  other  boats  were  plentiful  on  the  lower  portions  carrying 
out  the  products  of  the  extensive  salt  works.  Coal  was  another  product 
which  was  shipped  extensively  in  barges  down  the  Saline.  Little  use  is 
now  made  of  the  Saline  for  purposes  of  transportation. 

The  Cache  while  carrying  a  large  volume  of  water  has  never  been 
of  any  great  value  for  commercial  purposes.  It  is  very  crooked  and 
flows  through  a  flat  country  especially  towards  its  mouth  and  it  has  been 
difficult  to  navigate  on  account  of  the  presence  of  drifts  and  short  bends. 
There  are  many  sawmills  along  its  course  and  some  lumber  has  been 
sent  out  of  its  mouth  to  Cairo  and  Mound  City. 

The  Big  Muddy  though  smaller  than  some  of  the  other  streams,  has 
played  an  important  part  in  the  development  of  the  region  through 
which  it  flows.  Coal  was  discovered  along  its  course  as  early  as  1832. 
About  that  time  a  mine  was  opened  just  south  and  adjacent  to  the 
present  city  of  Murphysboro.  In  1836  one  Hall  Neilson  of  New  York 
City  offered  for  sale  what  was  at  that  time  known  as  the  Mt.  Carbon 
coal  property.  It  contained  795  acres  of  land  including  a  steam  saw 
mill,  wharves  for  loading  coal,  residences  for  miners,  and  other  im- 
provements. The  price  set  was  one  hundred  thousand  dollars.  The  in- 
ducement to  buyers  was  that  the  Big  Muddy  river  was  navigable,  and 
that  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  was  expected  to  pass  within 
a  mile  or  so  of  this  Mt.  Carbon  property.  At  that  time  Brownsville  the 
county  seat  of  Jackson  county  was  located  about  two  or  three  miles  down 
the  river  from  the  coal  miners.  The  survey  of  the  proposed  road  passed 
from  Cairo  via  Jonesboro,  Brownsville,  Pickneyville,  Nashville,  Carlyle, 
Vandalia,  and  thence  north  to  the  south  end  of  the  Illinois  and  Michigan 
canal.  The  first  steamer  on  the  Big  Muddy  was  called  Omega.  It  as- 
cended the  river  to  the  Mt.  Carbon  mines  as  early  as  1843.  The  venture 
was  probably  not  profitable  as  no  other  trip  was  made  for  several  years. 
In  1851  the  coal  company  shipped  large  quantities  of  coal  in  a  steamer 
called  the  Walk-in-the- Water.  Large  barges  were  constructed  and 
loaded  with  coal  and  taken  out  of  the  river  by  this  steamer.  The  Walk- 
in-the-water  made  several  trips  between  the  coal  mines  and  St.  Louis. 
In  1853  when  the  Illinois  Central  was  under  construction,  the  contrac- 
tors brought  their  material  for  long  stretches  of  the  road  up  the  Big 
Muddy  on  steamboats.  Several  consignments  of  rails  were  unloaded 
at  the  point  where  the  Illinois  Central  crosses  the  river  some  four  miles 
north  of  the  present  city  of  Carbondale.  In  the  summer  of  '53  an  en- 
gine was  brought  up  the  Big  Muddy,  unloaded  on  the  north  bank  of  the 
river  at  the  crossing  of  the  road,  and  placed  on  the  tracks  and  assisted 
in  the  work  of  construction.  Little  use  has  been  made  of  the  Big  Muddy 
river  for  transportation  purposes  since  railroads  became  plentiful  in 
Egypt. 

It  may  be  interesting  to  know  that  the  legislature  of  Illinois  took  the 
trouble  to  enact  laws  declaring  nearly  all  of  the  streams  in  Southern 
Illinois  navigable.  The  following  streams  in  this  end  of  the  state  were 
declared  navigable :  Boncoup  Creek,  tributary  of  the  Big  Muddy,  1819 ; 
Big  Bay,  in  Pope  county,  1833 ;  Big  Muddy,  1835 ;  Bon  Pas,  tributary 
of  the  Wabash,  1831 ;  Cache  river,  1819  ;  Kaskaskia,  1819 ;  Little  Wabash, 
1826;  Skillet  Fork,  a  branch  of  the  Little  Wabash.  1837;  Lusk's  Creek 
in  Pope  county  was  declared  navigable  in  an  early  day. 


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HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  357 

PIONEER  TRAILS  AND  ROADS 

The  rivers  were  the  first  highways,  but  our  earliest  pioneers  found 
already  laid  out  routes  of  travel  between  the  most  important  points  in 
Southern  Illinois.  The  Indians  were  great  travelers  and  they  had  well 
established  trails  in  Egypt  at  an  early  date.  When  George  Rogers 
Clark  reached  Fort  Massac  in  1778,  he  found  Indian  trails  which  lead 
from  that  point  to  Kaskaskia.  He  followed  one  of  these  trails  through 
the  wilderness  from  the  Ohio  to  the  Mississippi  and  later  from  Kaskaskia 
to  Vincennes.  These  trails  were  early  known  by  the  whites  and  were 
used  by  hunters  and  immigrants.  The  white  men  added  a  valuable  fea- 
ture to  these  trails  by  cutting  numbers  on  the  trees  along  the  trail. 
These  numbers  were  painted  and  gave  the  distance  to  the  next  village, 
fort,  or  settlement.  In  some  instances  the  number  was  burned  into  a 
blazed  surface  with  a  hot  iron.  Gov.  John  Reynolds  describes  this 
method  of  marking  not  only  the  way,  but  the  distance,  from  Golconda 
to  Kaskaskia  which  he  traveled  in  1800.  The  first  stage  of  development 
was  called  a  "trail,"  the  next  stage  was  called  a  "trace."  The  trail 
was  used  only  for  foot  travel  or  for  horses  in  single  file.  The  trail  used 
by  the  Indians  was  often  the  road  used  by  buffaloes  in  their  journeys. 
The  ' '  trace ' '  was  located  on  the  trail  but  was  widened  by  the  use  of  the 
ax  and  made  passable  for  wagons.  The  streams  were  forded  at  low 
stages,  but  often  movers  were  forced  to  build  crude  rafts  for  ferries. 

The  third  step  in  the  development  of  these  lines  of  travel  was  called" 
a  ' '  road. ' '  This  term  was  applied  to  all  established  routes  of  travel 
suitable  for  wagons,  with  bridges,  ferries,  fords  and  inns  along  the 
route.  The  oldest  map  of  Illinois  available  was  printed  in  1822  in  Phila- 
delphia. This  map  shows  the  following  roads  in  the  south  end  of  the 
state:  A  road  entering  the  state  from  Kentucky  a  few  miles  above  the 
mouth  of  the  Cumberland  river,  thence  by  way  of  Fort  Massac,  Amer- 
ica in  Alexander  county,  and  entering  Missouri  a  few  miles  above  the 
present  site  of  Cairo — probably  in  the  region  of  Goose  Island.  Another 
road  connected  Fort  Massac  and  Kaskaskia,  via  Vienna,  Crainville,  pass- 
ing near  Murphysboro  to  its  destination.  A  road  connected  Shawnee- 
town  with  Carlyle,  thence  to  Edwardsville  and  Alton.  A  fourth  con- 
nected Shawneetown  with  Crainville  in  Williamson  county  and  thence 
to  Kaskaskia.  A  fifth  ran  from  Kaskaskia  to  Vincennes  and  was  evi- 
dently the  road  taken  by  Clark  on  his  campaign  in  1779.  Another  road 
ran  from  St.  Louis  by  way  of  Carlyle  to  Salem  where  it  joined  the  Kas- 
kaskia-Vincennes  route. 

It  must  not  be  understood  that  there  were  no  other  roads  than  these 
above  mentioned.  There  were  many  roads  which  connected  these  main 
thoroughfares.  A  map  by  Rufus  Blanchard  printed  in  1883  gives  all 
the  roads  from  1800  to  the  middle  of  the  19th  century.  This  map  adds 
quite  a  few  roads  established  from  1822  to  1850  by  the  action  of  the 
General  Assembly.  In  addition,  certain  roads  which  connected  the 
larger  towns  and  were  well  established  were  designated  by  the  general 
government  as  "mail  routes."  Over  these  roads  the  mail  was  carried 
first  on  horseback  and  later  in  stage  coaches.  One  such  mail  route  in 
an  early  day  ran  from  Kaskaskia  to  Carlyle  and  later  extended  to  Van- 
dalia  the  new  capital  of  the  state.  Another  was  laid  out  from  Mt.  Car- 
mel  by  Grayville,  Carmi,  Equality  to  Shawneetown.  One  from  St.  Louis 
to  Shawneetown  passed  through  Belleville,  Carmi,  and  Equality.  As 


358  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

has  been  said  these  roads  were  first  established  by  action  of  the  general 
assembly  and  afterwards  designated  as  mail  routes.  Locally  these  roads 
were  often  known  as  "state  roads"  and  many  people  supposed  that  the 
state  made  appropriations  for  the  building  and  repair  of  such  roads,  but 
such  was  not  the  case.  Only  in  a  few  cases  were  appropriations  made 
for  building  bridges  where  the  burden  was  too  heavy  for  the  local 
taxpayers. 

Along  these  state  roads  which  were  designated  as  "mail  routes" 
there  grew  up  towns  and  villages.  Blacksmith  shops  were  scattered  here 
and  there.  Country  stores  were  located  at  such  places  as  would  accom- 
modate the  growing  settlements,  and  in  these  the  government  would 
often  establish  post  offices.  "Stage  stands"  became  familiar  objects 
along  the  principal  routes.  Here  the  stage  with  its  passengers  remained 
over  night  or  secured  dinner  and  changed  horses.  These  were  often 
called  "inns."  They  were  long  two  story  log  or  frame  structures  sit- 
ting near  the  road.  The  earlier  ones  were  built  of  logs,  but  later  frame 
structures  prevailed.  They  were  weather  boarded  with  clapboards  or 
home  sawed  planks.  They  were  seldom  painted  and  soon  took  on  an 
appearance  of  very  old  buildings.  In  front  was  usually  a  large  swinging 
sign  which  contained  the  name  of  the  inn  with  some  design  or  decora- 
tion, the  skill  of  some  traveling  painter.  Within,  all  was  hospitality. 
Meals  were  served  on  long  tables.  In  the  earlier  days  tables  were  home 
made.  The  seats  were  nothing  more  than  long  boards  with  supports 
serving  as  legs.  The  food  was  coarse,  but  wholesome  and  abundant. 
Meats  were  plentiful,  and  buffalo  meat,  venison,  wild  turkey,  wild 
pigeon,  wild  goose,  wild  duck,  squirrel,  rabbit,  and  'possum  were  served 
the  travelers  from  old  and  new  England. 

Probably  the  most  noted  road  in  the  state  was  the  National  Road. 
This  road  started  at  Cumberland,  Maryland  and  passed  through  Wheel- 
ing, Zanesville,  Columbus,  Indianapolis,  Terre  Haute,  and  thence  to 
Vandalia,  Illinois.  The  road  was  projected  to  reach  the  Mississippi 
river  at  either  St.  Louis  or  Alton,  but  it  was  never  built  farther  than 
Vandalia. 

GOVERNMENT  HIGHWAYS 

The  building  of  roads  appears  to  be  one  of  the  first  interests  of  a 
government.  In  the  development  of  countries  the  military  activities 
are  very  great.  Following  periods  of  conquest  of  weaker  countries  by 
a  stronger  power,  the  problem  is  how  to  hold  the  conquered  countries  in 
subjection.  One  of  the  most  effective  agencies  found  in  early  history 
was  the  military  roads.  The  Persian  Emperors  knew  the  value  of  the 
military  road.  It  is  said  that  a  good  road  ran  from  Susa,  the  Persian 
capital  to  Sardis,  the  chief  city  in  Asia  Minor,  a  distance  of  fifteen 
hundred  miles.  Over  this  road  troops  were  continually  passing  to  and 
fro.  In  the  days  of  the  greatness  of  the  Roman  Empire  there  was 
throughout  the  entire  territory  subject  to  the  Roman  eagles,  a  great 
network  of  military  roads.  Over  these  roads  the  Roman  Legions  were 
easily  and  rapidly  transported.  These  great  highways  were  generally 
straight  and  built  of  durable  materials.  Where  the  road  passed  over 
low  places  high  grades  were  constructed,  and  through  the  mountains  the 
high  places  were  brought  low.  The  road  bed  was  constructed  of  slabs  of 
hard  rock  carefully  fitted  together  and  laid  upon  a  sub-base  of  gravel 


HISTOEY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  359 

and  cement.    While  these  roads  were  primarily  for  military  operations, 
they  eventually  came  to  be  used  for  commercial  purposes. 

The  Eomans  who  occupied  England  from  about  50  A.  D.  to  450  A.  D. 
left  many  signs  of  this  occupation  in  the  great  roads  she  constructed 
over  the  territory  occupied.  Probably  the  roads  which  Rome  constructed 
in  England  were  not  so  well  built  as  were  those  in  Italy,  yet  they  were 
so  substantially  built  as  to  remain  to  the  present  time. 

The  Spaniards  who  occupied  the  Philippines,  Cuba,  Mexico  and  South 
America  for  four  hundred  years  were  active  road  builders.  The  road 
from  Vera  Cruz  to  the  City  of  Mexico  has  been  described  as  a  very  fine 
specimen  of  road  making. 

It  is  not  strange  therefore  that  the  matter  of  road  building  should 
have  occupied  the  attention  of  the  government  of  the  United  States  in 
the  earliest  years.  The  colonies  had  few  roads  of  any  consequence.  They 
traveled  largely  by  boats,  and  on  horseback  along  narrow  and  tortuous 
trails.  McMasters'  History  of  the  People  of  the  United  States  gives 
some  interesting  descriptions  of  early  roads  in  the  old  thirteen  colonies. 
"On  the  best  lines  of  communications  the  ruts  were  deep,  the  descents 
precipitous.  Travelers  by  coach  were  often  compelled  to  alight  and  as- 
sist the  driver  to  tug  the  vehicle  out  of  the  slough.  Near  Philadelphia 
a  quagmire  of  black  mud  covered  a  long  stretch  of  road  near  the  village 
of  Rising  Sun.  The  horses  were  often  seen  floundering  in  mud  up  to 
their  bellies. ' '  From  Philadelphia  in  1784  a  road  ran  west  through  the 
counties  of  Chester  and  Lancaster — over  the  Blue  Ridge  Mountains — to 
the  little  town  of  Bedford.  Thence  it  wound  through  the  beautiful  hills 
of  Western  Pennsylvania  to  the  head  waters  of  the  Ohio.  Over  this 
road,  crude  as  it  was,  there  came  to  Philadelphia  the  farm  products  of 
the  region  of  Pittsburg.  It  was  over  this  road  also  that  the  earliest 
immigration  to  the  west  passed.  But  in  1792  a  company  was  organized 
by  act  of  the  Pennsylvania  legislature  to  construct  a  "pike"  from 
Philadelphia  to  Lancaster.  A  traveler  described  this  road  in  1796  as 
follows:  "There  is  at  present  but  one  turnpike-road  on  the  continent, 
and  this  is  between  Lancaster  and  Philadelphia,  a  distance  of  sixty-six 
miles,  and  is  a  master  piece  of  its  kind.  It  is  paved  with  stone  the 
whole  way,  and  over  laid  with  gravel,  so  that  it  is  never  obstructed  dur- 
ing the  most  severe  season." 

When  Virginia  agreed  to  cede  her  Western  lands  to  the  general  gov- . 
eminent  in  1781,  there  was  an  understanding  that  a  portion  of  the 
proceeds  of  the  sale  of  this  land  should  be  applied  to  the  construction 
of  roads  from  the  tidewater  region  to  the  Northwest  territory.  When 
Ohio  came  into  the  Union,  a  clause  in  her  enabling  act  provided  that 
five  percent  of  the  proceds  of  the  sale  of  the  public  lands  within  the 
state  of  Ohio  should  be  used  for  the  purposes  of  internal  improvement, 
three  percent  to  be  used  by  the  general  government  in  constructing 
roads  within  the  state,  and  two  percent  to  be  used  in  roadmaking  from 
the  seaboard  to  the  state. 

When  Indiana  and  Illinois  came  into  the  union  a  similar  provision 
was  incorporated  in  their  enabling  acts.  In  Illinois  however,  only  two 
percent  out  of  the  five  could  be  used  for  roads  while  three  percent  was 
to  be  used  for  educational  purposes. 

In  December,  1805,  Mr.  Tracy  from  the  committee  to  whom  was 
referred  the  enabling  act  for  the  state  of  Ohio,  made  an  extended  re- 
port as  to  the  expenditure  of  the  two  percent  of  the  sale  of  public  lands 


360  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

within  the  state  of  Ohio.  At  that  time  the  sale  of  lands  had  amounted 
to  $632,604.27.  Two  percent  of  this  amount  was  $12,652.  This  was  to 
be  used  in  constructing  a  road  to  the  state  from  the  tidewater  region. 
The  report  made  by  Mr.  Tracy  was  very  complete  and  considered  all  the 
routes  from  the  coast  over  the  mountains  to  the  Ohio. 

As  a  result  of  this  report  an  act  was  passed  March  29,  1806,  creating 
a  commission  of  three  "discreet"  citizens  to  lay  out  and  make  a  road 
from  Cumberland  in  the  state  of  Maryland  to  the  state  of  Ohio.  The 
act  provided  that  the  road's  "right  of  way"  should  be  four  rods,  or 
sixty-six  feet,  wide.  The  act  made  the  president  the  real  superintendent 
of  construction.  Thirty  thousand  dollars  were  appropriated  for  the 
survey  and  the  construction.  The  commissioners  were  Thomas  Moore  of 
Maryland,  Joseph  Kerr  of  Ohio,  and  Eli  Williams  of  Maryland.  The 
commissioners  estimated  the  cost  at  six  thousand  dollars  per  mile  ex- 
clusive of  bridges.  The  states  of  Maryland,  Virginia,  and  Pennsylvania 
readily  granted  the  general  government  permission  to  construct,  own, 
and  operate  the  road.  The  commissioners  expended  some  thirteen  thou- 
sand of  the  thirty  thousand,  appropriated  by  congress  in  1806.  But  the 
project  was  halted  on  account  of  lack  of  funds,  although  the  two  per- 
cent fund  of  the  sale  of  lands  in  Ohio  was  growing. 

From  time  to  time  Congress  made  appropriations  for  the  road — the 
first,  March  29,  1806,  and  the  last  May  25,  1838.  The  total  appropria- 
tion was  for  the  road,  beginning  at  Cumberland  and  ending  at  the 

Wabash,  the  sum  of $6,289,919.33 

For  the  road  in  Illinois 535,000.00 


Total    $6,824,919.33 

The  original  act  was  very  indefinite  as  to  the  details  of  construction. 
When  the  construction  of  the  road  was  begun  the  original  plans  were 
considerably  modified.  "The  road  shall  be  raised  in  the  middle  of  the 
carriage  way  with  stone,  earth,  or  gravel  and  sand,  or  a  combination  of 
all  of  them."  The  grade  should  not  exceed  five  percent  in  any  place. 
The  progress  of  the  road  was  slow.  It  was  a  great  task  to  construct 
the  road  through  the  Alleghanies,  but  roadbuilding  through  Ohio,  Indi- 
ana, and  Illinois  was  not  so  difficult. 

THE  NATIONAL  ROAD 

We  are  more  particularly  interested  in  that  part  of  this  national 
road  which  lay  within  the  limits  of  our  state.  The  law  extending  the 
road  west  from  Wheeling  provided  that  it  should  pass  through  Zanes- 
ville  and  through  the  capitals  of  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois  and  to  the  capital 
of  Missouri.  The  survey  of  the  road  from  Indianapolis  west  brought 
it  to  Terre  Haute.  Here  the  survey  crossed  the  Wabash  and  proceeded 
in  a  straight  line  to  Vandalia  and  thence  to  a  point  on  the  Mississippi 
river  between  St.  Louis  and  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois  river,  and  from 
there  to  the  capital  of  Missouri. 

The  act  of  congress  providing  for  the  extension  of  the  road  west  from 
Wheeling  was  passed  and  approved  May  15,  1820,  and  appropriated 
ten  thousand  dollars  to  carry  out  the  survey.  There  was  no  money  ap- 
propriated for  actual  work  on  the  Illinois  extension  till  May  31,  1829, 
when  forty  thousand  dollars  was  set  aside  for  work  in  Illinois. 

The  work  of  constructing  this  great  national  road  was  begun  under 
the  direction  of  the  Treasury  Department,  but  in  1825  the  entire  matter 
was  turned  over  to  the  War  Department.  In  1828  steps  were  taken  to 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  361 

begin  work  in  Illinois — that  is,  surveys  were  made  and  on  January  20, 

1829,  the  commissioner  of  the  road  in  Illinois,  Mr.  J.  Shriver  reported 
to  the  War  Department  a  survey  of  the  road  from  the  State  line  at  Terre 
Haute  to  Vandalia  on  the  Kaskaskia.     This  survey  shows  the  distance 
from  the  State  line  to  the  Kaskaskia  to  be  ninety  miles  lacking  a  few 
rods.     The  profile  shows  the  starting  point  on  the  State  line  to  be  two 
feet  above  the  datum  line  which  is  low  water  in  the  Kaskaskia  at  Van- 
dalia.   The  road  varies  slightly  from  a  direct  line.    The  entire  distance 
of  ninety  miles  was  divided  by  the  engineers  into  fifteen  sections,  making 
an  average  of  six  miles  to  a  section.    This  was  for  the  purpose  of  letting 
the  contracts  for  the  construction  of  the  road.    The  road  passes  through 
the  present  counties  of  Clark,  Cumberland,  Effingham  and  Fayette  to  the 
county  seat  of  the  latter,  Vandalia.     The  profile  and  survey  does  not 
locate  a  single  town  or  village,  but  marks  the  streams,   wood  lands, 
prairie  lands,  hilly  regions,  rocks  and  other  physical  features.    The  road 
passes  through  Marshall  the  county  seat  of  Clark  county,  and  through 
the  villages  of  Irvington,  Auburn,  Martinsville,  Cumberland  and  Casey. 
In  Cumberland  county  it  passes  through  the  villages  of  Greenup  and 
Jewett.      In    Effingham    county    the    road    passes    through    Montrose, 
Teutopolis,  Effingham,  Ewington,  Funkhouser,  Dexter,  and  Altamont. 
In  Fayette  the  villages  passed  are  St.  Elmo,  Howard's  Point,  Avena, 
Bluff  City,  and  ending  at  Vandalia. 

The  survey  shows  the  following  streams  crossed  in  order  from  the 
State  line  to  Vanadalia:  Hock's  Creek;  Ashmore's  river,  now  Crooked 
creek ;  Little  creek ;  Big  creek ;  East  Fork  of  Mill  creek ;  West  Fork  of 
Mill  creek;  North  Fork  of  Embarras;  Embarras  river;  Muddy  creek; 
Salt  creek;  Little  Wabash  river;  Camp  creek;  and  Kaskaskia  river. 

The  highest  point  on  the  road  between  the  State  line  and  Vandalia 
is  265.6  feet  above  the  datum  line.  The  thriving  city  of  Marshall,  the 
county  seat  of  Clark  county  is  situated  on  this  high  ground. 

The  work  on  the  road  began  in  the  fall  of  1829  or  in  the  spring  of 

1830.  Contractors  were  in  charge  under  the  direction  of  the  Commis- 
sioner.   Men  who  lived  along  the  line  of  the  road  were  employed  to  cut 
off  the  timber  from  a  strip  eighty  feet  wide — forty  on  each  side  of  the 
center  of  the  roadway.     It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  there  was  a 
road  from  Terre  Haute  to  Vandalia  prior  to  the  location  of  the  Na- 
tional Road,  and  there  were  settlers  along  the  route.     The  hills  over 
which  the  road  ran  were  cut  down  and  the  low  places  graded  up,  the 
grade  not  exceeding  five  percent  at  any  place.     In  this  the  deep  cuts 
through  hills  the  opposite  slopes  of  the  cut  were  sodded  with  blue  grass 
to  prevent  washing.     In  like  manner  the  sloping  sides  of  the  fills  or 
grades  were  sodded.     On  each  side  of  the  roadway  proper  in  the  cuts 
there  was  a  ditch  for  the  drainage  of  the  rainfall.     These  ditches  were 
often  formed  with  stones  on  the  sides  and  bottom.     No  stagnant  water 
was  allowed  to  gather  along  the  road.    These  blue  grass  banks  and  stone 
gutters  are  in  many  places  as  perfect  as  they  were  three-quarters  of  a 
century  ago. 

The  character  of  the  work  done  on  this  National  road  is  perhaps 
best  shown  at  the  crossing  of  the  streams.  The  bridges  were  of  the  most 
approved  construction.  The  larger  streams  were  bridged  with  "wooden 
trusses  each  with  six  semicircular  arches,  the  ends  resting  on  cross  sills 
firmly  imbedded  in  stone  abutments  a  few  feet  below  the  floors.  Each 
bridge  had  two  wagon  tracks,  a  good  roof  of  rived  lapped  shingles, 


362  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

sides  boarded  with  clap  boards  shaved  with  drawing  knife  and  painted 
red.  The  arches,  braces,  sills,  sleepers,  and  floors  were  all  produced  with 
the  whip  saw  and  broad  axe. ' '  In  Clark  county  there  were  as  many  as 
eight  covered  bridges.  In  every  one  the  bridge  was  a  single  span,  and 
two  of  them  over  a  hundred  feet  long.  The  abutments,  wings,  and  other 
rock  work  was  of  the  best  quality  of  lime  stone,  except  the  abutments 
across  the  North  Fork  of  the  Embarras  which  were  sawn  sand  stone, 
dressed  on  the  ground  and  the  structures  erected  according  to  the  en- 
gineer's drawings. 

Three  of  these  eight  bridges  are  still  intact  and  are  apparently  good 
for  another  century.  These  bridges  are  known  as  Jackson  bridges  be- 
cause they  were  built  in  Jackson 's  ' '  reign ' '  as  president.  In  some  cases 
the  old  wooden  bridge  has  been  replaced  by  modern  iron  structures  rest- 
ing on  the  original  abutments.  At  the  crossing  of  smaller  streams  and 
deep  ravines  instead  of  bridges,  arches  of  stone  were  substituted.  These 
arches  were  built  of  dressed  stone  and  were  substantially  built.  Many 
of  them  stand  today  and  are  in  a  good  state  of  preservation. 

The  road  in  Illinois  was  free  for  all,  but  in  Indiana  and  Ohio  as  well 
as  in  the  states  eastward  the  government  maintained  a  system  of  toll 
gates  the  income  from  which  was  used  in  keeping  the  road  in  repair. 

The  road  from  the  State  line  to  Vandalia  was  never  macadamized. 
It  was  the  original  plan  to  do  so,  but  in  the  act  of  July  2,  1836,  which 
appropriated  $150,000  to  the  road  in  Illinois,  there  was  an  express  pro- 
vision that  none  of  the  money  should  be  spent  for  anything  except  for 
bridging  and  grading.  In  the  act  of  March  3,  1837,  $100,000  was  appro- 
priated for  the  Illinois  portion  of  the  road  with  the  provision  that  no  part 
of  the  money  should  be  used  to  stone  or  gravel  the  road  unless  it  could 
be  done  as  cheaply  as  such  work  had  been  done  in  Ohio  and  Indiana.  Evi- 
dently contracts  were  let  for  the  gravelling  of  the  road  as  thousands  of 
cubic  yards  of  crushed  stone  were  gotten  out  at  the  quarries  along  the 
road  but  none  ever  placed  on  the  roadway  on  account  of  a  lack  of  funds. 
By  1839  all  the  money  set  aside  for  the  Illinois  portion  of  the  road  had 
been  used  and  the  work  on  the  road  stopped. 

The  expenditure  of  such  large  sums  of  money  very  largely  for  labor 
and  raw  material  created  a  deal  of  immigration  to  points  along  the 
route  and  many  villages  sprang  up.  Large  quantities  of  government 
land  were  entered  and  farms  were  opened.  Schools,  churches,  saw- 
mills, stores,  taverns,  and  factories  were  quickly  provided.  It  is  said 
that  many  of  the  laborers,  contractors,  artisans,  and  builders  bought 
lands  along  the  route  and  eventually  became  citizens  of  Southern  Illi- 
nois. 

The  road  became  a  stage  and  mail  route.  John  T.  Rector  of  Marshall, 
Clark  county,  drove  stage  on  the  road  for  many  years.  He  tells  of  a 
farmer  who  was  angry  because  the  government  had  taken  his  land  for 
the  road.  One  day  he  set  his  fence  along  the  middle  of  the  road.  The 
stages  and  other  vehicles  drove  around  the  fence  for  a  few  days,  but 
one  night  a  stage  stuck  in  the  mud,  and  all  hands  alighted  and  soon 
landed  the  fence  along  the  gutter.  The  stage  then  proceeded  on  its 
journey.  The  farmer  tried  to  bring  suit  but  he  could  get  no  one  to 
serve  his  papers. 

The  Western  Stage  Company  ran  a  line  of  stages  from  Terre  Haute 
to  St.  Louis.  The  company  built  inns  and  "stage  stands"  along  the 
way  and  did  a  very  thriving  business.  Some  of  these  old  hotels  still 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  363 

stand.     There  were  no  towns  along  the  line  of  the  road  prior  to  1830. 
But  from  1830  to  1840  quite  a  number  of  villages  were  founded. 

The  road  was  under  the  control  of  the  general  government  till  about 
1836  when  it  was  surrendered  to  the  state.  The  road  is  in  good  repair 
and  is  much  traveled. 

WORK  OF  THE  STATE 

If  there  is  one  phase  of  our  state  government  which  is  weak  it  is 
the  method  of  laying  out,  grading  and  keeping  in  repair  of  our  public 
highways.  One  argument  that  was  formerly  used  to  persuade  people  to 
change  from  Commissioners'  form  of  county  government  to  township 
form  of  government  was  that  the  roads  were  much  better  cared  for  under 
the  township  form.  But  it  is  doubtful  whether  our  public  highways  are 
better  where  the  township  system  is  in  vogue  than  where  the  commis- 
sioners are  in  control.  The  general  assembly  has  legislated  upon  the 
question  of  public  highways,  but  no  progress  is  made.  The  Farmers' 
Institute  has  done  something  to  advance  the  interests  of  hard  roads.  A 
few  years  ago  a  plan  of  dragging  the  roads  was  tried.  It  was  claimed 
that  if  the  roads  were  dragged  with  heavy  split  log  drags  while  they 
were  muddy  that  they  would  dry  faster  and  be  much  more  solid  than  if 
allowed  to  dry  without  dragging.  Where  the  farmers  have  kept  up  this 
treatment  in  a  systematic  way  the  results  are  very  satisfactory.  Just 
now  hard  road  construction  under  the  direction  of  a  Hard  Road  Com- 
mission is  going  rapidly  forward.  The  state  is  trying  the  plan  of  build- 
ing one  or  more  miles  from  some  town  into  the  country  as  an  experiment. 
The  roadbed  is  graded  properly  and  several  inches  of  crushed  stone  ap- 
plied. This  is  rolled  with  a  heavy  steam  roller  and  finer  crushed  rock 
applied.  When  the  road  is  completed  the  layers  of  crushed  stone  ag- 
gregate some  ten  or  twelve  inches.  The  state,  through  the  Hard  Roads 
Commission,  superintends  the  work  and  furnishes  the  material  at  cost. 
Many  cities  and  towns  are  building  such  roads.  The  railroads  are  con- 
tributing their  share  toward  the  good  roads  proposition  by  hauling  ma- 
terial at  a  minimum  rate  and  lending  encouragement  in  other  ways. 

There  is  an  abundance  of  material  in  Southern  Illinois  for  the  con- 
struction of  hard  roads.  An  inexhaustible  supply  of  good  limestone  is 
found  along  the  Mississippi  from  Alton  to  Thebes.  Near  Metropolis 
there  is  an  unlimited  supply  of  gravel  which  makes  a  choice  roadbed 
There  are  also  deposits  in  the  region  of  the  Wabash  suitable  for  hard 
road-making. 

Trolley  systems  are  not  extensive  in  Southern  Illinois.  In  the  region 
of  East  St.  Louis,  Alton,  Belleville,  and  Edwardsville  there  is  a  net 
work  of  trolley  roads.  There  is  a  short  system  of  trolley  lines  connect- 
ing Cairo,  Mound  City,  and  Mounds.  There  are  a  few  cities  that  have 
trolley  lines,  but  the  interurban  lines  are  as  yet  in  their  infancy. 


CHAPTER 

EDUCATION  IN  ILLINOIS 

FIRST  AMERICAN  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS — BASIS  OF  ILLINOIS  SYSTEM — PRIMITIVE 
SCHOOL  HOUSES — CONVENTIONS  TO  ENCOURAGE  PUBLIC  EDUCATION — 
BEST  FRIENDS  OF  THE  CAUSE — STATE  LAW  OF  1855 — PRESENT  SYSTEM 
OF  PUBLIC  EDUCATION. 

Nothing  is  dearer  to  the  hearts  of  the  American  people  than  the 
cause  of  popular  education.  Nor  is  this  strange.  Every  other  phase 
of  the  people's  life  has  its  basis  in  the  education  of  the  masses.  Re- 
ligion without  education  becomes  formal  and  unmeaning.  The  indus- 
trial world  would  make  little  progress  without  the  power  which  comes 
from  education  to  utilize  the  forces  of  nature  all  about  us.  Scientific 
farming  awaits  an  educated  husbandry.  Society  can  not  be  separated 
from  education — no  education,  no  society.  Culture  abides  with  a  people 
who  spend  much  time  and  means  in  intellectual  development.  Again 
there  can  be  no  government  in  the  true  sense  of  the  word  where  educa- 
tion does  not  abound.  This  doctrine  of  the  basal  character  of  education 
is  as  old  as  the  experience  of  the  race.  It  may  be  pointed  out  that  many 
nations  have  neglected  the  education  of  their  people  and  yet  have 
seemed  to  prosper.  It  is  easy  to  show  that  the  rank  of  nations  in  the 
world  today  is  largely  if  not  altogether  determined  by  the  attention  that 
has  been  paid  to  the  cause  of  popular  education. 

America  is  essentially  Anglo-Saxon.  English  ideals  were  planted 
on  our  shores  in  every  one  of  the  thirteen  original  colonies.  Immigra- 
tion westward  in  the  past  one  hundred  years  has  carried  those  ideals 
into  the  great  interior  and  indeed  over  the  mountain  barriers  and  across 
the  deserts  to  the  land  of  the  golden  sunset. 

Among  those  ideals  was  that  of  popular  education.  In  some  colonies 
the  settlers  had  scarcely  finished  their  huts,  their  churches,  and  their 
blockhouses  before  they  began  to  make  provision  for  some  form  of 
schooling  for  the  children  of  the  colony.  In  many  instances  this  work 
of  education  was  carried  on  by  the  faithful  pastor  who  came  with  each 
distinct  body  of  settlers.  It  is  true  that  in  those  colonies  where  royal 
ideals  were  most  in  vogue  that  popular  education  was  most  neglected. 
Sir  William  Berkley,  governor  of  Virginia,  said  in  1671:  "I  thank  God 
there  are  no  free  schools  nor  printing  in  Virginia."  In  New  England 
where  the  settlers  were  more  democratic  in  spirit,  more  attention  was 
given  to  popular  education.  And  strange  as  it  may  seem  when  they 
took  up  the  work  of  founding  schools  and  opening  educational  oppor- 
tunities to  their  people  they  went  far  beyond  what  had  been  accomplished 
in  the  mother  country.  Harvard  College  was  founded  as  early  as  1636, 

364 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  365 

while  the  beginnings  of  the  common  school  system  were  crystallized  by 
a  law  of  the  general  court  in  1647.  This  law  provided  that  in  each  town- 
ship or  settlement  of  fifty  house-holders,  the  authorities  should  provide 
a  teacher  ' '  to  teach  all  such  children  as  shall  resort  to  him  to  write  and 
read. ' '  The  method  of  paying  the  teacher  was  to  be  determined  by  the 
officers  of  the  town. 

FIRST  AMERICAN  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS 

A  public  school  was  established  in  Connecticut  as  early  as  1639. 
The  law  on  that  subject  required  ' '  the  selectmen  of  every  town  to  have 
a  vigilant  eye  over  their  brethren  and  neighbors  ...  to  teach,  by 
themselves  or  others  their  children  and  apprentices  so  much  learning  as 
may  enable  them  perfectly  to  read  the  English  tongue." 

Pennsylvania  was  noted  from  the  earliest  times  as  the  colony  of  ' '  log 
colleges,"  because  she  gave  attention  to  public  education,  which  was 
carried  on  very  largely  in  log  school  houses.  A  charter  granted  by  Penn 
to  the  settlers  in  1711  contained  the  following  preamble:  "Whereas,  the 
prosperity  and  welfare  of  any  people  depend,  in  a  great  measure,  upon 
the  good  education  of  the  youth,  and  their  early  introduction  in  the 
principles  of  true  religion,  and  qualifying  them  to  serve  their  country 
and  themselves  by  breeding  them  in  reading,  writing,  and  learning  of 
languages  and  useful  arts  and  sciences,  suitable  to  their  sex,  age  and 
degree — which  can  not  be  affected  in  any  manner  so  well  as  by  erecting 
Public  Schools  for  the  purposes  aforesaid,  etc.,  etc." 

Maryland  in  1723  passed  an  act  "for  the  encouragement  of  learning, 
and  erecting  schools  in  the  several  counties  in  this  province."  North 
Carolina  in  1776  provided  that  "a  school  or  schools  should  be  estab- 
lished by  the  legislature  for  the  convenient  instruction  of  youth,  with 
such  salaries  to  the  masters,  paid  by  the  public,  as  may  enable  them  to 
instruct  at  low  prices;  and  that  all  useful  learning  shall  be  encouraged 
in  one  or  more  communities. ' ' 

It  would  not  be  difficult  to  show  that  all  public  men  of  the  later 
colonial  period  and  of  the  early  constitutional  period  heartily  favored 
popular  education.  The  "elastic  clause"  of  the  Constitution  recites 
that  congress  shall  have  power  to  provide  for  the  common  defense  and 
general  welfare  of  the  United  States.  The  general  welfare  could  not  be 
provided  for  in  any  way  so  effectively  as  in  founding  systems  of  popular, 
free  education. 

The  third  article  of  the  ' '  Compact ' '  in  the  Ordinance  of  1787  reads : 
"Religion,  morality,  and  knowledge,  being  necessary  to  good  govern- 
ment and  the  happiness  of  mankind,  schools  and  the  means  of  educa- 
tion shall  be  forever  encouraged."  The  Constitution  and  the  Ordinance 
were  made  in  the  summer  of  1787  and  both  breathe  the  spirit  of  an 
educated,  patriotic  citizenship.  Thomas  Jefferson  was  not  a  member  of 
either  the  congress  of  1787  or  of  the  constitutional  convention,  but  there 
can  be  little  doubt  that  the  generous  attitude  of  both  these  great  state 
papers  toward  the  cause  of  popular  education  was  in  perfect  harmony 
with  his  private  and  public  utterances  on  this  subject.  On  one  occasion 
Jefferson  said :  "I  look  to  the  diffusion  of  light  and  education  as  the 
resources  most  to  be  relied  on  ameliorating  the  condition,  promoting  the 
virtue,  and  advancing  the  happiness  of  man.  ...  A  system  of  gen- 
eral instruction,  which  shall  reach  every  description  of  our  citizens, 


366  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

from  the  richest  to  the  poorest,  as  it  was  the  earliest,  so  it  shall  be  the 
latest  of  all  public  concerns  in  which  I  shall  permit  myself  to  take 
an  interest. ' ' 

BASIS  OF  ILLINOIS  SYSTEM 

The  Enabling  Act  for  Illinois  which  was  drafted  by  Nathaniel  Pope 
contained  a  clause  which  gave  the  state  of  Illinois  the  section  numbered 
16  in  each  township  for  school  purposes.  In  addition  the  act  granted 
one  township  to  the  state  for  a  seminary  of  learning.  And  again  three 
percent  of  the  sale  of  all  public  lands  in  Illinois  was  given  to  the  state  for 
educational  purposes.  The  proceeds  of  the  sale  of  the  16th  section  in 
each  township  helps  to  make  a  permanent  school  fund  for  that  town- 
ship, while  the  income  from  the  three  percent  of  the  sale  of  public 
lands  goes  into  the  state's  permanent  school  fund. 

But  it  will  be  profitable  in  this  connection  to  have  our  minds  directed 
to  the  very  beginnings  of  education  in  Illinois.  It  will  be  remembered 
that  the  French  were  in  control  in  this  territory  from  the  early  days 
of  Marquette  and  La  Salle  to  the  close  of  the  French  and  Indian  war. 
From  the  reports  of  the  missionary  priests  we  gather  that  there  was  a 
form  of  education  practiced  in  the  very  earliest  times  in  the  French 
and  Indian  settlements.  It  is  probably  true  that  nothing  beyond  the 
requirements  pertaining  to  the  doctrines  of  the  church  was  required.  It 
is  true  also  that  tradition  has  been  persistent  in  declaring  that  there  was 
a  college  founded  in  Kaskaskia  about  1720,  and  that  it  flourished  till 
the  outbreak  of  the  French  and  Indian  war  in  1754.  This  college  was 
controlled  by  the  Jesuits,  and  when  this  order  was  suppressed  in  France 
in  1764,  this  property  of  the  order  was  confiscated  in  this  country.  The 
college  buildings,  a  brewery,  and  a  well  stocked  farm  at  Kaskaskia  were 
all  sold  to  the  highest  bidder. 

There  was  no  educational  activity  in  Illinois  during  the  British  rule 
— 1765  to  1778.  But  among  the  soldiers  of  George  Rogers  Clark  there 
were  men  of  some  education  and  it  was  from  this  source  that  the  first 
schools  in  the  truest  meaning  sprang  up.  Many  of  the  soldiers  with 
Clark  were  men  of  families.  When  the  war  was  over  these  men  moved 
from  their  homes  in  Kentucky,  Virginia,  or  the  Carolinas  into  Southern 
Illinois  and  settled.  Others  came  with  them  and  from  that  time  forward 
there  was  a  constant  stream  of  immigration  into  this  region.  Reynolds' 
Pioneer  History  says  that  John  Seeley  taught  a  school  in  New  Design, 
in  Monroe  county,  in  an  abandoned  squatter's  cabin,  as  early  as  1783. 
There  was  no  floor  in  the  cabin.  Poles  and  logs  flattened  with  the  axe 
served  as  seats  and  desks.  Afterwards  Francis  Clark  and  an  Irishman 
by  the  name  of  Halfpenny  taught  in  the  same  locality.  John  Clark  a 
Scotchman,  a  preacher  of  considerable  ability  and  education  followed 
the  above  named  teachers.  The  latter  Clark  taught  the  higher  branches 
and  was  without  doubt  a  college  bred  man.  John  Doyle  who  had  been 
a  soldier  with  Gen.  Clark  returned  to  Illinois  and  taught  school  at 
Kaskaskia  in  1790  and  the  years  following.  A  Mr.  Davis,  an  old  sailor, 
taught  school  in  1816  in  an  old  fort  in  Baldwin  precinct  in  Randolph 
county.  Madison  county  had  a  school  as  early  as  1804.  It  was  located 
about  where  Collinsville  is  now  situated.  It  was  taught  by  Mr.  John 
Bradbury  who  was  characterized  as  "faithful  but  not  learned."  John 
Atwater  opened  a  school  near  Edwardsville  about  1807.  Mr.  Atwater 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  367 

was  a  New  Englander.  John  Messenger,  a  noted  pioneer  of  St.  Clair 
county,  was  a  school  teacher  as  early  as  1804.  He  taught  at  Shilo,  a  set- 
tlement five  miles  northeast  of  Belleville.  The  first  school-house  in  St. 
Clair  was  probably  the  one  built  at  Shilo  in  1811. 

All  these  schools  and  scores  of  others  of  which  there  is  no  record 
were  subscription  schools.  The  teachers  charged  a  small  fee  for  each 
pupil  per  month  or  quarter.  In  addition  it  was  generally  planned  that 
the  teacher  should  board  in  the  homes  of  his  patrons.  There  was  little 
attempt  beyond  reading,  writing,  spelling,  and  simple  calculation  in 
arithmetic. 

The  first  general  assembly  of  Indiana  Territory,  which  included  Illi- 
nois as  it  is  today,  passed  an  act  in  1806  creating  a  university.  Jesse  B. 
Thomas,  afterwards  a  very  noted  Illinoisan,  was  Speaker  of  the  House 
and  Pierre  Menard  was  President  of  the  Council.  The  bill  provided  for 
the  transfer  to  this  university  of  the  township  which  the  general  govern- 
ment had  given  the  future  state.  The  bill  also  provided  that  twenty 
thousand  dollars  cash  might  be  raised  by  a  lottery  for  the  immediate 
use  of  the  university,  and  empowered  it  to  hold  not  exceeding  one  hun- 
dred thousand  acres  of  land,  and  to  receive  gifts.  The  trustees  were 
named  in  the  act  and  Gen.  William  Henry  Harrison  was  president  of 
the  board  of  trustees. 

The  university  was  located  at  Vincennes  and  is  still  a  nourishing 
institution  of  learning.  The  territory  of  Illinois  was  separated  from 
the  Indiana  Territory  in  1809  and  the  university  of  Vincennes  became 
an  Indiana  institution.  Another  act  of  the  Indiana  legislature  before 
the  separation  was  to  authorize  the  Courts  of  Common  Pleas  in  the 
several  counties  to  locate  the  school  lands  in  each  county  for  a  period  not 
to  exceed  five  years.  This  law  was  in  force  in  Illinois  after  the  separa- 
tion of  Illinois  from  Indiana. 

In  1816  the  Illinois  territorial  legislature  passed  an  act  locating  the 
township  which  the  government  had  agreed  to  give  the  state  to  sup- 
port a  seminary  of  learning.  The  township  selected  was  T.  5  N.,  R.  1  W., 
of  the  3d  Principal  Meridian.  This  township  lay  partly  in  the  Kaskaskia 
valley  and  was  afterwards  thought  to  be  of  little  value,  and  upon  a  re- 
quest from  Illinois  the  congress  allowed  the  state  to  select  thirty-six  sec- 
tions in  lieu  thereof. 

In  the  early  part  of  1818  the  territorial  legislature  of  Illinois  asked 
Congress  for  permission  to  make  a  constitution  preparatory  to  asking 
permission  to  come  into  the  union.  Nathaniel  Pope  was  our  delegate  in 
Congress  and  was  a  member  of  the  committee  on  territories.  The  prayer 
therefore  of  the  Illinois  legislature  was  referred  to  the  committee  of 
which  Mr.  Pope  was  a  member.  This  committee  out  of  respect  to  Mr. 
Pope  asked  him  to  formulate  the  enabling  act.  This  he  did.  The  orig- 
inal draft  was  amended  but  we  may  call  attention  to  that  part  of  the 
act  which  has  to  do  with  the  matter  of  education  in  Illinois.  The  sixth 
section  has  four  clauses  and  they  all  refer  to  the  offer  of  the  general  gov- 
ernment of  lands  to  the  state  of  Illinois.  First — The  section  numbered 
sixteen  in  each  township  was  given  to  the  state  of  Illinois  "for  the  use 
of  the  inhabitants  of  such  township  for  the  use  of  schools."  The  Second 
—This  clause  refers  to  the  gift  of  the  salt  lands  to  the  state.  The  Third — 
This  clause  provides  that  five  percent  of  the  sale  of  public  lands  in  Illi- 
nois shall  be  reserved  for  the  state — two  percent  for  the  improvement  of 
roads  leading  into  the  state  and  three  percent  for  school  purposes, — one- 


368  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

sixth  part  of  the  three  percent,  or  one-half  percent  to  be  devoted  to  a 
college  or  university.  Clause  Four — This  clause  provides  that  an  entire 
township  of  land  shall  be  set  aside  for  use  of  a  seminary  of  learning  to 
be  vested  in  the  legislature  of  the  state.  The  first  provision  above  gave 
the  state  nearly  a  million  acres  of  land,  the  proceeds  of  which  passed 
into  a  permanent  township  school  fund.  This  fund  has  now  grown  to 
more  than  five  million  dollars.  The  three  percent  of  the  sale  of  public 
lands  has  made  a  fund  of  over  six  hundred  thousand  dollars.  The  one- 
sixth  part  of  the  three  percent  is  now  a  fund  of  over  two  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars.  The  seminary  fund  from  the  seminary  township  is  about 
sixty  thousand  dollars. 

The  wonderful  liberality  of  the  general  government  in  making  gifts 
to  the  cause  of  popular  education  in  this  state  ought  to  be  a  matter  of 
great  appreciation  by  the  people  of  the  state  of  Illinois. 

In  Governor  Bond's  first  message  to  the  legislature  in  1819  he  re- 
commended to  that  body  a  revision  of  the  laws  which  had  been  in  force 
under  the  teritorial  regime,  calling  especial  attention  to  the  subject  of 
education,  saying  "It  is  our  imperious  duty,  for  the  faithful  perform- 
ance of  which  we  are  answerable  to  God  and  our  country,  to  watch  over 
this  interesting  subject."  In  response  to  this  call  to  duty  by  the  gov- 
ernor, the  legislature  passed  laws  making  it  an  offense  to  cut  timber  from 
any  school  land ;  furthermore  a  law  was  enacted  providing  for  the  lease 
of  any  and  all  school  lands,  the  rents  resulting  therefrom  to  be  applied 
to  the  cause  of  education.  The  same  general  assembly  passed  laws  char- 
tering academies  at  Edwardsville,  Carlyle,  and  Belleville. 

In  December,  1820,  the  second  general  assembly  listened  to  the  mes- 
sages of  the  governor,  in  which  he  warmly  urged  the  founding  of  a 
"seminary  of  learning"  to  be  located  at  the  new  capital,  Vandalia.  He 
said  this  educational  institution  should  be  located  in  the  capital  "be- 
cause by  an  occasional  visit  at  the  houses  of  the  general  assembly  and 
the  courts  of  justice,  the  student  will  find  the  best  specimens  of  oratory 
the  state  can  produce ;  imbibe  the  principles  of  legal  science,  and  politi- 
cal knowledge,  and  by  an  intercourse  with  good  society  his  habits  of  life 
would  be  chastened,  and  his  manners  improved."  The  legislature  evi- 
dently wished  to  do  something  to  comply  with  the  governor's  wishes  and 
so  incorporated  the  Belleville  Debating  and  Library  Society  and  took 
other  steps  looking  toward  advancing  the  cause  of  education  at  Alton, 
in  Monroe  county,  and  in  White  county.  It  does  not  appear  that  any 
actual  school  work  resulted  from  this  legislation. 

Joseph  Duncan  was  a  senator  from  Jackson  county  to  the  general 
assembly  in  1825.  He  introduced  a  bill  which  was  the  first  effort  at 
providing  a  system  of  free  school  education.  The  bill  became  a  law 
and  had  many  excellent  provisions  for  those  early  days.  The  law  pro- 
vided for  a  school  or  schools  in  every  county  in  the  state.  School  of- 
ficers were  created  and  provision  made  for  elections  to  fill  them.  These 
officers  were  to  have  charge  of  the  schools  very  much  as  boards  of  di- 
rectors have  now.  School  sites  and  the  tax  levy  were  to  be  fixed  by  the 
legal  voters  in  a  mass  meeting.  The  taxes  must  not  be  more  than  one- 
half  of  one  percent  on  the  assessed  valuation,  and  in  no  case  more  than 
ten  dollars  for  any  one  person.  Taxes  could  be  paid  in  money  or  in 
merchantable  produce.  School  houses  were  to  be  built  and  kept  in  re- 
pair by  a  sort  of  poll  tax  in  labor.  The  local  taxes  were  to  be  increased 
by  the  distribution  of  a  general  state  fund  derived  from  one  fiftieth  of 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  369 

the  entire  state  tax  and  five-sixths  of  the  interest  due  on  the  school  fund 
which  the  state  had  borrowed. 

The  law  as  formulated  by  Mr.  Duncan  was  so  modified  in  the  ses- 
sions of  1826  and  1827  that  the  whole  taxing  power  was  nullified,  and 
.  money  could  be  raised  only  by  popular  subscription.  There  was  no 
provision  for  the  examination  of  the  teacher  who  was  selected  usually 
not  by  the  school  authorities  but  by  those  who  were  subscribers  to  the 
school.  In  this  session  of  the  legislature  an  academy  was  chartered  in 
Union  county  and  the  first  college — Franklin  College — was  chartered  at 
Albion,  Edwards  county.  In  1829  a  law  was  enacted  which  put  the 
schools  back  where  they  were  prior  to  1825.  Thus  the  good  start  made 
in  1825  had  a  miserable  ending  in  1829.  From  1829  to  1855  the  school 
system  in  Illinois  was  really  a  subscription  system.  This  was  a  great 
blow  to  the  cause  of  popular  education. 

It  is  not  surprising  that  the  Duncan  law  was  repealed.  Most  of  the 
inhabitants  of  Illinois  at  that  time  were  from  states  in  which  there  were 
no  free  school  system.  It  been  estimated  that  not  more  than  three 
or  four  members  of  the  legislature  were  from  states  where  the  free  school 
idea  was  incorporated  into  law.  It  was  the  bug-a-boo  of  taxation  which 
killed  the  Duncan  law. 

The  system  of  education  in  vogue  in  the  slave  holding  states,  where 
most  of  the  population  hailed  from  in  the  first  quarter  of  the  nineteenth 
century,  was  that  of  private  instruction  supplemented  in  some  instances 
by  academy  or  college  training.  We  must  not  think  that  because  the 
Duncan  law  was  repealed  and  the  subscription  system  substituted  that 
the  cause  of  education  had  no  friends,  for  it  was  in  the  period  following 
the  failure  of  the  Duncan  law  that  steps  were  taken  to  establish  colleges  in 
Southern  Illinois.  These  will  be  considered  later  as  we  wish  to  treat  here 
only  the  public  school  phase  of  the  subject. 

The  story  of  education  in  the  various  parts  of  Southern  Illinois  prior 
to  1855  is  the  same  for  the  entire  region,  the  teachers  were  usually 
poorly  prepared ;  they  begat  no  educational  enthusiasm.  They  were  in 
the  main  not  actual  residents  of  the  localities.  They  were  a  class  of 
men  who  taught  a  few  months  for  a  pittance  and  usually  moved  to 
other  localities  at  the  end  of  a  short  term.  As  a  rule  they  agreed  to 
teach  only  reading,  writing,  spelling,  and  arithmetic  to  the  "single  rule 
of  three."  They  boarded  with  the  families  whose  children  were  in 
school.  Each  family  entertained  the  teacher  a  just  share  of  the  time 
which  was  determined  by  the  number  of  children  in  school  from  that 
home.  This  practice  was  called  "boarding  around." 

PRIMITIVE  SCHOOL  HOUSES 

Their  school  houses  and  their  construction  have  frequently  been  de- 
scribed by  the  early  pioneers.  They  were  invariably  of  logs,  usually 
about  sixteen  or  eighteen  feet  by  twenty-four  feet.  The  logs  were  sel- 
dom hewn.  The  men  of  the  neighborhood  would  go  into  the  timber  and 
cut  the  logs,  haul  them  to  the  school-house  site,  and  on  a  designated  day 
would  meet  and  carry  up  the  walls.  It  was  covered  with  clapboards  which 
were  rived  out  of  the  oak  trees  by  some  patron  of  the  school  who  had 
learned  the  art  of  making  boards.  The  boards  were  seldom  nailed  on, 
but  were  held  in  position  by  straight  poles  resting  on  the  lower  ends  of 
each  layer.  These  weights  were  secured  by  pins  at  each  end  of  the 

Vol.  1—24 


370  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

pole  set  into  the  ribs  of  the  roof,  or  by  flat  rocks  resting  on  the  roof  just 
below  the  weight  poles.  The  doors  were  frequently  of  sawn  boards  but 
now  and  then  they  were  constructed  of  clapboards.  The  hinges  were  of 
wood  and  were  home  made.  Windows  were  openings  in  the  side  of  the 
room  made  by  removing  a  log  or  two.  Glass  was  not  altogether  un- 
known in  these  windows,  but  often  the  opening  was  filled  with  oiled 
paper  or  left  open  entirely.  The  furniture  was  of  the  crudest  sort. 
Seats  were  of  split  logs  with  pins  in  the  rounding  side  for  legs.  The 
split  surface  was  made  smooth  with  broad  ax  and  plane.  Desks  were 
arranged  around  the  side  of  the  room  of  sawn  boards  or  hewn  slabs  and 
were  used  for  writing  purposes  only.  The  pupil  usually  stood  while 
writing.  Paper  was  scarce  and  costly  and  pupils  often  learned  to  write 
by  using  slates.  The  pens  were  made  of  goose  quills,  and  the  ink  was 
home  made.  The  fire  place  occupied  one  end  of  the  building  and  was 
often  lined  with  flat  rock  set  up  edgewise  and  held  in  place  by  mortar 
made  of  clay  or  lime  and  sand.  Often  the  wooden  fire  place  was  pro- 
tected against  the  fire  by  a  liberal  coating  of  clay  plastered  upon  the 
inner  side  of  the  fire  place.  The  fuel  was  wood  from  the  timber  nearby. 
It  was  furnished  by  the  patrons  of  the  school  and  was  brought  in  the 
form  of  long  poles  and  logs.  The  task  of  preparing  it  fell  to  the  teacher 
and  the  larger  boys.  And  this  was  the  form  of  fuel  long  after  stoves 
became  common  in  the  school-houses.  The  wood  lay  exposed  to  the 
rains  and  snows  of  the  winter  and  often  great  difficulty  was  experienced 
in  keeping  the  fires  going  with  such  fuel.  Black  boards  were  very  few 
and  very  crude.  One  or  two  wide  planks  planed  and  painted  served 
the  purpose.  The  carpenter's  chalk  served  as  crayon.  It  may  be  pre- 
sumed however  that  the  board  was  not  considered  a  necessary  adjunct 
of  the  school-room.  Books  were  indeed  scarce.  Those  in  use  were  Web- 
ster's Speller  and  McGuffey's  readers.  The  advanced  pupils  used 
other  books.  In  not  a  few  schools  the  Bible  was  the  text  in  reading.  It 
was  no  uncommon  thing  to  find  about  the  home  a  board  in  the  general 
form  of  a  paddle  with  narrow  handle  and  broad  shovel  like  end.  The 
board  was  smoothed  on  both  sides  and  upon  these  smooth  sides  was 
written  the  multiplication  table.  A  leather  thong  passing  through  a 
hole  in  the  handle  secured  the  device  to  the  wrist  or  to  the  plow  handle, 
and  thus  was  always  handy  for  the  use  of  the  learner.  The  writer  has 
seen  these  paddles  with  the  tables  recorded  with  keel  or  lampblack. 

It  was  no  uncommon  thing  in  an  early  day  to  find  a  school  conducted 
in  a  barn,  residence,  courthouse,  or  abandoned  cabin. 

CONVENTIONS  TO  ENCOURAGE  PUBLIC  EDUCATION 

In  1833  there  was  held  in  Vandalia  a  convention  of  those  interested  in 
public  education.  It  was  composed  of  those  members  of  the  legislature 
who  were  concerned  about  an  efficient  system  of  public  schools,  together 
with  those  public  spirited  citizens  a  few  of  whom  were  teachers.  The 
burden  of  their  effort  was  to  gather  information  concerning  education. 
A  permanent  committee  was  appointed  consisting  of  some  ten  or  fifteen 
of  the  most  noted  public  men : — John  Russell,  of  Greene  county ;  0.  H. 
Browning,  of  Adams;  Henry  Eddy,  of  Gallatin;  Jeffrey  Robinson,  of 
Wayne;  J.  M.  Peck,  of  St.  Clair;  Stephen  Dewey,  of 'Fulton;  R.  A. 
Peebles,  of  Payette ;  Benjamin  Miles,  of  Jo  Daviess ;  William  H.  Brown, 
of  Payette ;  John  T.  Stuart,  of  Sangamon ;  John  Tillson,  of  Montgomery ; 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


371 


Edward  H.  Piper,  of  Crawford ;  and  W.  L.  D.  Ewing,  of  Fayette.  This 
committee  was  to  make  diligent  inquiry  in  the  several  counties  repre- 
sented in  order  to  arrive  at  the  attitude  of  the  public  toward  the  subject 
of  general  education.  The  general  assembly  then  in  session  did  not  enact 
any  legislation  upon  the  subject  of  education,  but  by  resolution  urged 
the  above  committee  to  gather  information,  as  stated  above. 

A  circular  letter  of  explanation  together  with  a  list  of  twenty-two 
questions  was  sent  out.  The  questions  asked  for  the  kind  of  school 
houses,  number  of  months  of  school  per  year,  number  of  pupils,  quali- 
fications of  teachers,  whether  many  children  are  in  need  of  state  aid  and 
several  questions  on  the  character  of  the  instruction  given  in  the  schools 
etc.,  etc.  Without  doubt  this  circular  letter  and  these  questions  created 


IN  USE  UNTIL  RECENTLY 

a  very  general  interest  in  the  cause  of  education,  because  the  members 
of  the  legislature  elected  in  August,  1834,  discussed  the  educational 
questions  in  the  canvass. 

The  Rev.  John  M.  Peck,  editor  of  the  Pioneer  and  Western  Baptist, 
suggested  another  educational  convention  in  Vandalia  sometime  during 
the  sitting  of  the  legislature  which  convened  in  December,  1834.  In 
response  to  this  suggestion  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Peck  there  was  held  in  Van- 
dalia on  Friday,  December  5,  1834,  "The  Illinois  Educational  Conven- 
tion." Hon.  Cyrus  Edwards  was  made  president  and  Hon.  Stephen  A. 
Douglas  was  made  secretary.  A  committee  of  three  was  appointed  to 
draft  an  address  to  the  people  of  the  state.  This  address  was  of  con- 
siderable proportion  and  discussed  at  leiigth  the  great  need  of  a  system 
of  free  schools,  the  revenues  of  the  state,  and  the  progress  being  made  in 
educational  matters  in  other  states.  There  was  also  published  a  memor- 
ial to  the  legislature  asking  for  certain  amendments  to  the  present  law. 
The  result  of  this  address  and  memorial  upon  the  legislature  was  that 
the  Hon.  William  J.  Gatewood,  senator  from  Gallatin  county  offered  a 
"Report  on  the  Subject  of  Education"  in  which  he  outlined  a  law  not 
altogether  different  from  the  Duncan  law  of  1825.  He  supported  his 


372  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

measure  with  a  strong  appeal  for  the  cause  of  the  common  schools.  But 
all  to  no  avail.  The  legislature  was  against  an  increase  of  taxation.  The 
best  the  legislture  could  do  was  to  provide  for  a  distribution  of  the 
school  funds  of  the  state  to  the  counties  in  proportion  to  the  white  popu- 
lation under  twenty-one  years  of  age,  providing  that  not  more  than  half 
of  any  teacher 's  salary  should  be  paid  from  the  state  funds,  and  provided 
also  that  all  school  buildings  should  be  furnished  by  the  patrons  of  the 
school. 

BEST  FRIENDS  OF  THE  CAUSE 

In  another  place  we  shall  consider  the  origin  and  growth  of  the  col- 
leges of  the  state.  It  may  be  said  here  that  the  best  friends  of  the  com- 
mon schools  were  to  be  found  among  those  connected  with  the  cause  of 
higher  education.  The  Rev.  J.  M.  Peck,  Rev.  John  F.  Brooks,  Prof.  J. 
B.  Turner,  Rev.  Theron  Baldwin,  Prof.  Sturdevant,  and  Dr.  Edward 
Beecher  and  a  score  of  others  were  faithful  champions  of  the  cause  of 
the  common  schools.  "The  Illinois  Teachers'  Association"  was  organ- 
ized in  the  chapel  of  Illinois  College  on  September  20,  1836.  Several 
other  meetings  of  this  organization  were  held  but  the  name  soon  changed 
and  its  identity  was  lost  or  at  least  becomes  doubtful.  From  time  to 
time  efforts  were  made  to  enact  a  strictly  free  school  system,  but  little  if 
any  real  progress  was  made.  By  1840  the  public  prints  had  become 
active  in  advocacy  of  a  free  school  system.  No  doubt  much  that  appeared 
in  these  public  newspapers  was  written  by  teachers  and  others  inter- 
ested in  the  cause  of  the  common  schools.  Not  only  was  a  liberal  use 
made  of  the  newspapers  but  educational  journals  began  to  make  their 
appearance  as  early  as  1847. 

Among  the  questions  sent  out  in  1833  was  this :  ' '  How  would  a  cir- 
cuit teacher  do  who  should  conduct  four  or  five  schools,  visiting  them 
once  a  week  as  teachers  of  singing  do,  and  lecturing  and  explaining  the 
branches  taught  ? ' '  This  is  a  strange  idea  about  the  way  to  carry  on  the 
work  of  the  common  schools  but  out  of  this  idea  has  come  the  position 
of  county  superintendent.  At  the  various  educational  gatherings  be- 
tween 1833  and  1845  resolutions  were  passed  recommending  to  the  legis- 
lature many  new  features  which  eventually  grew  into  law.  In  1844  the 
county  commissioner  of  school  lands  was  made  the  county  superin- 
tendent of  schools,  and  in  the  same  year  the  secretary  of  state  was  made 
the  state  superintendent  of  common  schools.  This  officer  was  author- 
ized to  recommend  text  books,  maps,  charts,  and  apparatus.  The  county 
superintendent  had  the  right  to  examine  any  one  who  desired  to  teach 
in  his  county.  The  public  school  funds  could  not  be  drawn  without  the 
teachers  had  "passed"  before  the  county  superintendent. 

The  first  educational  meetings  were  of  the  nature  of  conventions 
to  which  men  of  ability  and  standing  were  invited.  The  common  school 
teacher  would  have  felt  much  out  of  place  in  these  state  conventions. 
But  from  these  conferences  sprang  in  an  early  day  what  were  called 
Institutes.  These  institutes  were  meetings  of  the  rank  and  file,  usually 
led  by  some  distinguished  educator.  One  such  institute  was  held  for 
three  weeks  in  Ottawa  in  1849.  Others  were  held  in  other  parts  of  the 
state.  At  these  institutes  very  practical  questions  were  discussed. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  373 

STATE  LAW  OF  1855 

The  general  trend  of  educational  movement  up  to  1855  was  not  very 
different  from  what  has  been  described.  In  that  year  the  school  law 
was  radically  changed.  The  essential  points  of  the  Free  School  law  of 
1825  were  incorporated  in  the  law  of  1855,  namely : 

1.  A  school  system  based  on  law. 

2.  A  school  free  of  all  rates  or  charges  against  the  children  attending 
or  their  parents  or  guardians. 

3.  The  defraying  of  all  the  expense  of  such  a  school  by  taxation  of 
all  the  property  in  a  predetermined  district,  except  the  part  that 
might  be  met  by  the  income  of  the  various  school  funds  of  the  state. 
This  law  of  1855  found  a  fairly  well  organized  plan  for  general 

education  in  the  several  counties.  In  1845  a  law  had  made  the  Secretary 
of  State  ex-officio  state  superintendent.  In  1854  the  office  of  state 
superintendent  was  created  and  at  the  first  election  was  filled  by  the 
selection  of  Ninian  W.  Edwards  who  had  long  been  deeply  interested 
in  educational  matters.  The  county  commissioner  of  school  lands  was 
made  ex-officio  county  superintendent  of  schools  in  1845.  Districts  had 
been  laid  out  in  the  several  townships  and  school-houses  had  been  con- 
structed. The  early  school-houses  were  of  logs,  but  by  1855  many  frame 
buildings  had  been  erected.  The  general  plan  was  for  one  man  to  fur- 
nish the  frame,  another  the  shingles,  another  the  weather  boards,  another 
the  flooring,  another  the  chimney,  etc. 

Replies  to  the  questions  sent  out  by  the  state  superintendent  of  pub- 
lic instruction  published  in  the  School  Reports  from  1870  to  1900  show 
that  the  school  interests  in  many  counties  were  at  a  low  ebb.  In  1883 
the  state  superintendent  of  public  instruction  send  out  questions  to  be 
answered  by  the  several  county  superintendents  on  general  topics. 
Among  these  we  note  the  following:  Number  of  districts  having  no 
schools?  twelve  in  Southern  Illinois;  sixty-four  in  the  entire  state. 
Number  of  log  school-houses  in  the  state  379 ;  in  Southern  Illinois  305. 

PRESENT  SYSTEM  OF  PUBLIC  EDUCATION 

At  the  present  time  the  common  schools  of  Southern  Illinois  are 
thoroughly  organized.  There  are  few  districts  if  any  where  the  term 
is  less  than  six  months,  and  in  many  the  term  is  eight  to  ten  months.  The 
school-houses  are  neat  structures,  well  furnished  with  patent  seats,  good 
maps,  globes  and  blackboards.  In  most  of  the  country  schools  are  to  be 
found  well  selected  libraries,  dictionaries,  and  encyclopedias.  Much  im- 
provement has  been  made  in  recent  years  relative  to  lighting,  heating, 
and  ventilating.  In  quite  a  number  of  recently  built  rural  school- 
houses,  hot  air  furnaces  have  been  installed.  And  jacketed  stoves  are 
quite  common.  Pictures,  busts  and  other  forms  of  art  adorn  the  interior 
of  many  rural  school-rooms.  Opening  exercises  in  which  singing  is  a 
large  and  enjoyable  part  are  held  at  regular  periods.  Drawing  is  regu- 
larly taught  in  a  large  majority  of  the  schools,  and  ' '  singing  by  note ' '  is 
very  common.  The  rural  free  delivery  provides  many  schools  with  daily 
papers  and  magazines,  and  the  discussion  of  current  events  is  no  un- 
usual thing.  Elementary  agriculture  and  domestic  science  are  taught 
in  a  few  of  the  best  rural  schools.  The  Farmers '  Institute  has  a  strong 
ally  in  the  free  public  school.  Boys  often  have  patches  of  corn  on  the 


374 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


farm  where  they  raise  that  grain  for  competition  in  the  county  fair. 
The  county  superintendent  has  what  is  called  corn  day  at  which  all  the 
boys  in  the  township  who  wish  may  enter  their  corn  for  inspection  and 
grading.  The  State  University  has  found  its  way  to  the  rural  schools  of 
Southern  Illinois  and  has  set  up  standards  for  corn  judging,  cattle  judg- 
ing, etc.  Not  only  so,  but  the  Southern  Illinois  State  Normal  University 
has  recently  added  a  department  of  agriculture  and  has  purchased  a 
farm  of  some  sixty  acres  adjoining  the  campus  where  the  boys  and  girls 
of  Egypt  can  see  the  principles  of  agriculture  put  into  practical  opera- 
tion. 

Annual  institutes  required  by  law  are  held  in  every  county  in  this 
end  of  the  state.  Often  it  will  occur  that  the  enrollment  at  the  annual 
institute  is  equal  to  or  greater  than  the  number  actually  engaged  in 
teaching  in  the  county.  In  several  counties  in  recent  years  the  young 
men  engaged  in  teaching  outnumber  the  young  ladies. 

One  phase  of  the  common  school  work  which  has  attracted  attention 
among  educators  in  recent  years  is  the  graduation  exercises  of  the  rural 


A  BOYS  CORN  CLUB  IN  JOHNSON  COUNTY 

schools.  The  schools  nearly  all  follow  the  course  of  study  provided  by 
the  State  Teachers '  Association  of  the  state.  It  is  one  of  the  most  satisfac- 
tory courses  of  its  kind  put  out  by  the  school  authorities  of  any  state. 
This  course  lays  out  a  certain  amount  of  work  to  be  done  and  when 
the  course  is  satisfactorily  finished  the  county  superintendent  issues 
county  diplomas  to  the  boys  and  girls  who  have  faithfully  completed  the 
work.  The  Lindley  Law,  an  act  passed  by  the  general  assembly  some 
eight  or  ten  years  ago,  provides  that  the  boy  or  girl  who  stands  highest 
in  his  grades  in  each  township  is  entitled  to  a  scholarship  in  the  state 
normal  for  a  four  years'  course.  The  graduating  exercises  of  the  rural 
school  are  frequently  held  in  connection  with  the  summer  institute.  At 
such  times  the  parents  of  the  boys  and  girls  come  to  the  institute  in 
large  numbers  and  thus  imbibe  the  enthusiasm  of  educational  progress. 
Some  counties  will  graduate  as  many  as  fifty  to  seventy-five  young  people 
from  the  eighth  grade  each  year. 

When  it  is  remembered  that  only  one  dollar  per  pupil  in  attendance 
upon  our  schools  is  furnished  by  the  state  and  that  all  other  costs  must 
be  borne  by  direct  taxation  levied  by  the  people  themselves,  and  when  it 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  375 

is  remembered  that  the  land  values  of  Southern  Illinois  are  not  more 
than  one-half  of  what  they  are  in  the  black  fertile  prairies  of  the  central 
and  northern  parts  of  the  state,  it  is  a  matter  of  just  pride  that  our 
schools  take  such  high  rank  in  the  state.  There  is  no  tax  which  the  people 
pay  with  greater  pleasure  than  their  school  tax.  The  teachers  are  being 
better  paid,  the  terms  are  lengthening,  the  character  of  the  work  is  im- 
proving, and  the  outlook  for  the  little  red  schoolhouse  was  never  more 
promising. 


CHAPTER  XXXI 
ILLINOIS  AGRICULTURAL  COLLEGE 

A  PART  OF  THE  GENERAL  SYSTEM — CREATED  BY  THE  STATE — SCHOOL 
OPENS  IN  1866 — UNCERTAINTY  AS  TO  STATUS — LIFE  GOES  OUT  IN  1879. 

Morris  Birkbeck,  a  prosperous  farmer  of  England,  migrated  to  Illi- 
nois in  1817.  He  landed  at  the  present  site  of  Albion  White  county  in 
that  year.  Here  he  purchased  fourteen  hundred  acres  of  prairie  land. 
He  immediately  opened  a  farm  and  began  country  life  as  if  he  had  al- 
ways lived  in  the  ' '  new  west. ' '  In  conjunction  with  others  he  organized 
the  Illinois  Agricultural  Society  about  1821  or  1822.  Mr.  Birkbeck 
was  the  president  of  this  society  in  the  latter  year.  Professor  Jonathan 
Turner  was  an  enthusiastic  successor  to  Mr.  Birkbeck  in  the  matter  of 
scientific  farming.  Perhaps  no  man  has  done  more  to  advance  the  cause 
of  scientific  agriculture  than  has  Jonathan  Turner. 

A  PART  OF  THE  GENERAL  SYSTEM 

In  1833  there  was  held  in  Vandalia  the  first  educational  convention 
in  the  state,  and  from  that  date  to  1855  there  was  a  ceaseless  effort  to  se- 
cure certain  educational  advantages  for  the  youth  of  the  state.  The 
champions  of  these  efforts  were  the  Rev.  John  M.  Peck,  Prof.  John  Rus- 
sell, Cyrus  Edwards,  John  Goudy,  Judge  Sidney  Breese  and  a  host 
of  other  early  pioneers.  Gov.  Duncan  as  early  as  1834  urged  upon 
the  legislature  the  establishment  of  a  State  University,  and  in  1835  sev- 
eral charters  were  granted  for  the  founding  of  colleges  and  seminaries. 

There  soon  developed  four  lines  along  which  the  educational  forces 
of  the  state  seemed  to  exert  themselves.  These  were :  First,  a  public  free 
school  system ;  second,  a  training  or  normal  school  for  the  preparation 
of  young  people  to  teach ;  third,  an  agricultural  school ;  fourth,  a  State 
University.  The  Normal  school  idea  was  agitated  as  early  as  1840  by  a 
paper  published  in  Jacksonville.  Agricultural  papers  were  early 
printed  in  two  or  three  sections  of  the  state.  The  Prairie  Farmer  was  a 
power  for  good  in  the  early  '40s.  In  1852  The  Industrial  League  of  Illi- 
nois was  formed  in  Chicago  and  was  incorporated  a  year  later.  This 
league  issued  an  address  to  the  people  of  the  state  in  1852  in  which  they 
point  out  the  need  of  a  State  University  that  shall  provide  for  depart- 
ments of  instruction,  as  follows:  First,  Normal  school  department;  sec- 
ond, a  department  of  agriculture;  third,  a  department  of  mechanics; 
fourth,  a  department  of  commerce  and  business. 

This  Industrial  League  was  very  active  in  urging  the  consideration 
of  at  least  two  of  these  lines  of  education.  A  bill  to  incorporate  the 

376 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  377 

"Illinois  University"  with  Jonathan  B.  Turner,  Bronson  Murray,  John 
B.  Kennicott,  Urial  Mills,  H.  C.  Johns,  William  A.  Pennell  as  trustees 
was  introduced  into  the  legislature  in  1855.  The  bill  received  favorable 
consideration  in  the  senate  but  the  time  was  too  short  to  get  the  bill 
through  the  house,  and  the  effort  came  to  naught. 

In  all  this  agitation  by  the  "Education  Convention,"  which  was 
meeting  annually,  and  the  ' '  Industrial  League. ' '  the  literary  phase  of  a 
state  university  was  not  very  prominent.  The  method  of  support  for 
these  educational  projects  was  the  use  of  the  college  and  seminary 
funds  which  had  resulted  from  the  sale  of  lands  which  had  been  donated 
by  the  general  government. 

In  1804  a  land  office  was  located  in  Kaskaskia.  The  secretary  of 
the  treasury  was  authorized  to  locate  in  the  Kaskaskia  land-office  district 
a  township  of  land  to  be  given  to  the  state  of  Illinois,  when  admitted  in- 
to the  union,  for  the  purpose  of  founding  a  seminary  of  learning.  In 
the  enabling  act  another  township  was  given  for  the  same  purpose.  This 
made  seventy-two  sections — 46,080  acres.  In  1829  the  state  legislature 
authorized  the  sale  of  the  college  and  seminary  lands.  The  land  was 
sacrificed  usually  at  government  prices,  $1.25  per  acre.  The  total 
amount  sold  up  to  1855  was  42,300  acres  which  produced  a  fund  of 
$59,832.  This  money  was  borrowed  by  the  state  from  time  to  time  and 
an  interest  rate  of  six  per  cent  paid  into  the  fund.  This  money  is  now 
enumerated  as  a  portion  of  the  permanent  school  fund. 

There  yet  remained  in  1861,  3,880  acres,  or  four  and  one-half  sec- 
tions of  the  seminary  lands  unsold.  A  portion  of  this  remnant,  if  not 
all  of  it,  was  located  in  Iroquois  county. 

CREATED  BY  THE  STATE 

The  effort  of  all  the  forces  at  work  on  the  general  school  problem  in 
Illinois  resulted  in  the  creation  of  the  office  of  state  superintendent  of 
public  instruction  in  1854  and  in  the  passage  in  1855  of  the  act  which 
formed  the  basis  of  our  present  free  school  system.  In  1861  the  legisla- 
ture passed  a  law  creating  the  ' '  Illinois  Agricultural  College. ' '  The  en- 
abling section  reads :  "  Be  it  enacted  by  the  people  of  the  state  of  Illinois, 
represented  in  the  General  Assembly  that  J.  W.  Singleton,  Thomas 
Quick,  William  A.  Hacker,  Walter  Buchanan,  B.  C.  Renois,  Harmon 
Alexander,  Curtis  Blakeman,  James  H.  Stipp  and  Zadock  Casey,  and  all 
such  other  persons  as  may  become  associated  with  them,  are  hereby  con- 
stituted a  body  corporate,  by  the  name  and  style  of  the  Illinois  Agricul- 
tural College,  for  the  purpose  of  instruction  and  science  in  practical  and 
scientific  agriculture,  and  in  the  mechanical  arts." 

The  capital  stock  was  fixed  at  $50,000  with  the  privilege  of  increasing 
the  sum  to  $200,000,  divided  into  shares  of  one  hundred  dollars  each,  ten 
percent  of  the  subscription  to  be  paid  in  cash  on  each  share  at  the 
time  of  issuing  the  stock.  Arrangements  in  the  charter  provided  for  an 
opportunity  for  young  men  who  were  worthy  and  needy  to  have  a  chance 
to  work  in  the  fields  a  portion  of  each  day  and  thus  meet  a  portion  of 
their  expense. 

Section  8  reads:  "That  the  college  and  seminary  lands  of  this  state 
be  and  they  are  hereby  donated  to  said  corporation  with  power  to  lease, 
sell,  dispose  of  and  convey  the  same,  and  to  receive  and  collect  the  money 
arising  therefrom  for  the  purpose  of  establishing,  improving,  and  carry- 


378  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

ing  on  said  college  and  farm. ' '  The  lands  referred  to  in  this  8th  section 
of  the  charter  were  the  remnant  of  the  two  townships  granted  by  the 
general  government  for  college  and  seminary  purposes.  There  were  four 
and  one-half  sections  yet  unsold.  When  the  board  of  trustees  was  or- 
ganized, it  disposed  of  these  four  and  one  half  sections  for  $58,000  and 
the  money  was  deposited  in  the  bank  of  Mr.  A.  D.  Hay,  of  Centralia,  who 
was  treasurer  of  that  institution. 

When  it  came  time  for  the  trustees  to  locate  the  school,  the  activity 
of  Mr.  Thomas  Quick  secured  the  location  of  the  college  in  the  village  of 
Irvington,  the  home  of  Mr.  Quick  located  some  five  or  six  miles  south  of 
Centralia  on  the  line  of  Illinois  Central  Railroad.  Lands  were  purchased, 
buildings  erected,  and  a  corps  of  instructors  secured. 

There  was  some  doubt  whether  this  Illinois  Industrial  College  was 
a  state  institution  or  whether  it  was  a  private  corporation.  In  the  same 
way  there  was  some  doubt  whether  the  Normal  school  at  Normal  was  a 
state  school.  The  tenth  section  of  the  charter  for  the  Illinois  Industrial 
College  seems  to  establish  the  fact  that  it  is  a  state  school.  It  reads: 
"Said  corporation  shall  make  a  full  biennial  report  to  the  legislature 
when  in  session  of  their  financial  condition,  their  progress,  the  number  of 
pupils  received  and  discharged,  stating  the  residence  of  each." 

The  village  of  Irvington  was  a  very  small  collection  of  houses,  but  the 
location  was  well  selected  as  the  land  was  rich  and  the  physical  condi- 
tions healthful. 

SCHOOL  OPENS  IN  1866 

Although  the  corporation  was  chartered  in  1861,  there  had  been 
much  irritating  delay  in  locating  the  school  and  in  providing  suitable 
buildings.  However,  the  school  opened  on  the  10th  of  September,  1866, 
with  the  following  faculty :  Rev.  I.  S.  Mahan,  president ;  Rev.  James  S. 
C.  Finley,  Valentine  C.  Rucker,  Mrs.  Helen  Keeney,  Peter  Walser, 
Thomas  Quick.  The  last  named  gentleman  was  the  guiding  genius  in 
the  board  of  trustees,  and  while  the  board  had  changed  some  since  the 
charter  was  issued,  Mr.  Quick  was  still  on  the  board  and  its  president. 
Mr.  Quick's  position  on  the  faculty  was  as  head  of  the  department  of 
law,  when  such  a  department  should  be  organized. 

Mr.  Mahan  remained  but  one  year  as  head  of  the  school,  and  upon 
the  opening  of  the  second  year  in  September  1867,  the  Rev.  D.  P.  French 
was  the  president.  In  1871  the  Rev.  Mr.  French  was  succeeded  by  the 
Rev.  A.  C.  Hillman  who  served  till  1874,  when  the  Rev.  D.  W.  Phillips 
was  selected  as  president.  He  served  till  the  death  of  the  school  some 
three  years  later. 

The  charter  of  the  school  made  no  provision  for  requiring  a  bond  of 
the  treasurer  covering  the  funds  which  might  come  into  his  hands.  The 
subscription  to  the  stock  was  liberal  and  with  this  money  a  farm  of 
five  hundred  and  sixty  acres  was  purchased  lying  adjacent  to  the  Illinois 
Central  railroad,  immediately  west  of  the  village  of  Irvington.  The 
money,  some  $58,000  for  which  the  seminary  lands  were  sold,  was  placed 
in  the  bank  of  Mr.  Hay,  which  shortly  failed,  and  the  money  was  lost. 
In  later  years  the  legislature  investigated  the  whole  matter  of  the  loss 
of  the  college  and  seminary  funds  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  Hay,  but  no 
charges  of  intention  to  defraud  the  state  could  ever  be  sustained.  It  was 
believed  that  the  income  from  the  college  and  seminary  fund  together 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  379 

with  tuition  and  the  proceeds  from  the  farm  would  be  sufficient  to  sus- 
tain the  school  even  if  the  legislature  never  appropriated  anything  for 
its  support.  But  when  the  bank  failed  and  the  income  from  the  college 
and  seminary  fund  was  shut  off,  the  only  source  of  support  was  tuition 
and  the  income  from  the  farm,  the  state  never  having  appropriated  any 
money  to  the  school's  maintenance. 

UNCERTAINTY  AS  TO  STATUS 

The  uncertainty  as  to  whether  the  school  was  a  "state  school"  is 
further  shown  by  the  act  of  the  legislature  in  1869,  two  years  after  the 
school  was  actually  opened.  It  seems  that  the  treasurer  had  failed  to 
make  any  report  to  the  auditor  of  public  accounts  of  the  proceeds  of  the 


THE  OLD  ILLINOIS  AGRICULTURAL  COLLEGE,  IRVINGTON,  WASHINGTON 

COUNTY 

sale  of  the  four  and  one  half  sections  of  the  college  and  seminary  lands. 
He  had  repeatedly  been  asked  to  do  so.  On  April  19,  1869,  the  legis- 
lature therefore  passed  an  act  entitled  "An  Act  to  Secure  the  Endow- 
ment Fund  of  the  Illinois  Agricultural  College."  This  provided  that 
unless  the  treasurer  of  the  said  college  make  a  full  and  complete  report 
to  the  auditor  of  all  the  money,  notes,  interest  or  other  things  of  value, 
as  the  proceeds  of  the  sale  of  the  four  and  one  half  sections  of  the  college 
and  seminary  land,  within  three  months,  then  the  attorney  general  should 
take  steps  to  secure  the  said  amounts  of  money,  etc. 

Section  3  of  this  act  is  as  follows :  "  It  shall  be  lawful  in  case  of  the 
establishment  of  the  Southern  Illinois  Normal  University,  for  the  said 
college  to  transfer  and  make  over  to  the  trustees  thereof  the  said  trust 
fund,  upon  such  terms  and  conditions  as  may  be  agreed  upon  between 
the  trustees  of  said  college  and  said  university,  and  which  shall  be  ap- 
proved by  the  governor,  to  be  used  only  for  purposes  of  endowment  of 
said  university."  There  was  a  bill  then  before  the  legislature  for  the 
founding  of  a  state  normal  school  south  of  the  St.  Louis  and  Terre 
Haute  Railroad,  and  it  was  the  intention  of  this  third  section  to  trans- 


380  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

fer  any  money  which  could  be  recovered  from  the  Illinois  Agricultural 
College  to  this  proposed  normal  school. 

At  some  date  prior  to  April  1878  the  state  entered  suit  against  the 
trustees  of  the  Illinois  Agricultural  College  for  the  recovery  of  the  col- 
lege and  seminary  funds  amounting  to  some  $58,000.  In  the  April  term, 
1878,  of  the  circuit  court  in  Washington  county  a  decree  was  entered 
vesting  the  title  to  the  "farm"  of  the  Illinois  Agricultural  College  in  the 
state  of  Illinois,  and  on  the  31st  of  May,  1879,  the  legislature  passed  an 
act  authorizing  the  sale  of  the  farm  of  five  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  The 
act  provided  that  when  the  land  is  sold  the  money  shall  be  turned  into  the 
state  treasury  and  that  all  liens  and  incumbrances  on  the  "farm"  shall 
be  paid  and  that  the  residue  shall  be  applied  to  educational  purposes  as 
may  hereafter  be  provided  by  law. 

There  were  several  claims  against  the  school  probably  amounting  to 
several  thousand  dollars.  When  the  lands  were  sold  and  all  claims  paid 
there  remained  the  sum  of  nine  thousand  dollars  which  was  turned  into 
the  endowment  fund  of  the  Southern  Illinois  Normal  University. 

The  school  was  well  attended  from  the  different  parts  of  the  state. 
As  many  as  from  two  to  three  hundred  students  were  enrolled  at  one 
time  and  the  entire  school  seemed  to  have  the  air  of  prosperity  about  it. 
There  was  a  preparatory  department  which  accommodated  those  stu- 
dents whose  preliminary  training  had  been  too  limited  to  enable  them  to 
enter  the  regular  college  courses. 

A  large  boarding  hall  and  dormitory  was  erected  which  was  under 
the  supervision  of  the  wife  of  Dr.  French.  The  demand  for  accommoda- 
tions for  students  was  difficult  to  supply  in  a  village  of  only  three  hun- 
dred people,  and  so  there  were  many  houses  erected  in  order  to  accom- 
modate parents  who  wished  to  move  to  the  village  in  order  to  school  their 
children.  These  farmers  and  others  would  move  away  at  the  end  of  the 
school  year  and  then  the  town  consisted  largely  of  tenantless  houses. 

LIFE  GOES  OUT  IN  1879 

The  unfortunate  loss  of  the  funds  from  the  college  and  seminary 
lands  and  the  decree  of  the  circuit  court  vesting  the  state  with  the 
"farm"  were  blows  the  school  could  not  stand.  The  number  of  stu- 
dents decreased,  the  teachers  sought  other  fields,  and  the  Illinois  Agri- 
cultural College  was  a  thing  of  the  past.  A  Mr.  Clark,  a  Presbyterian 
minister,  occupied  the  college  buildings  and  carried  on  a  school  of  the 
academy  grade  for  some  time,  and  eventually  this  was  abandoned.  There 
was  no  longer  any  reason  for  the  people 's  remaining  in  the  village,  and 
college  buildings  and  residences  were  left  for  the  bats  and  owls. 

In  later  years  the  main  college  building  was  used  as  a  residence,  and 
some  five  or  six  years  ago  the  building  and  grounds  were  purchased  by 
the  trustees  of  the  Huddleston  Orphans'  Home,  an  institution  under  the 
auspices  of  the  Baptist  church. 


CHAPTER  XXXII 
PRIVATE  SCHOOLS 

FIRST  HIGH  SCHOOL  IN  ILLINOIS— SHURTLEFP  COLLEGE — MCKENDREE  AND 
EWING  COLLEGES — SOUTHERN  COLLEGIATE  INSTITUTE — GREENVILLE 
COLLEGE. 

The  story  of  educational  progress  is  only  partly  told  when  we  have 
recited  the  part  the  state  has  played  in  education  in  Illinois.  Private 
enterprise  must  always  receive  its  share  of  the  honor  which  comes  to  any 
people.  Indeed  private  effort  is  always  the  pioneer,  and  only  steps  aside 
when  the  public  conscience  has  been  stimulated  by  the  achievement  of 
individual  effort.  Upon  a  cursory  view  of  the  matter  it  may  appear 
that  private  effort  is  selfish.  This  is  true  to  some  extent  but  it  is  only  the 
first  step  in  the  order  of  development.  Public  movements  are  always  the 
outgrowth  of  private  effort.  This  is  well  illustrated  in  the  beginnings  of 
higher  education  in  Illinois. 

The  first  schools  were  for  the  masses  provided  they  had  the  neces- 
sary funds  to  pay  the  quarterly  subscription.  The  house  was  provided 
through  private  or  community  effort.  The  teacher  was  the  creature  of 
no  law.  He  was  wholly  independent  of  legislative  enactment.  He  was 
amenable  to  his  patrons  under  the  common  law  of  contracts.  If  boys 
and  girls  desired  to  extend  their  knowledge  and  training  beyond  the  cur- 
riculum of  the  subscription  school — reading,  writing,  spelling,  and  arith- 
metic to  the  rule  of  three — the  state  presented  no  opportunity  nor  gave 
any  encouragement.  This  matter  was  left  wholly  to  private  enterprise. 
Many  young  people  in  Illinois  in  the  first  third  of  the  19th  century  who 
had  exhausted  the  supply  of  educational  pabulum  to  be  found  in  the  sub- 
scription schools  and  who  desired  to  pursue  higher  courses  of  learning 
were  obliged  to  put  themselves  under  the  tutorage  of  ministers  of  the 
gospel  or  go  to  the  older  states  where  private  colleges  had  been  estab- 
lished. 

Governor  Reynolds  tells  how  he  was  obliged  to  return  to  Knoxville, 
Tennessee,  for  advanced  studies.  He  arrived  in  Illinois  in  1800  at  the 
age  of  eleven.  After  attending  the  subscription  schools,  he  attended  a 
sort  of  private  academy  or  advanced  subscription  school  a  few  miles 
northeast  of  Belleville  on  the  site  of  the  now  famous  Rock  Spring  Semi- 
nary. This  infant  academy  was  taught  by  John  Messenger,  a  very  noted 
pioneer,  educator,  surveyor,  and  legislator.  Under  Mr.  Messenger  Gov- 
ernor Reynolds  studied  higher  mathematics,  surveying,  the  sciences  and 
some  astronomy.  Having  "finished"  in  this  school,  his  parents  sent 
him  to  Knoxville,  Tennessee,  where  he  remained  two  years.  The  minis- 
ters of  those  days  were  usually  men  of  education  and  culture  and  often 
gave  private  instruction  in  Latin,  Algebra,  and  other  advanced  studies. 

381 


382 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 
FIRST  HIGH  SCHOOL  IN  ILLINOIS 


It  will  he  remembered  that  tradition  has  it  that  there  was  a  college 
in  Kaskaskia  in  the  first  half  of  the  eighteenth  century  but  that  it  was 
abandoned  in  1765.  Let  this  be  as  it  may,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that 
to  the  Rev.  John  M.  Peck  belongs  the  credit  of  establishing  the  first 
school  for  higher  education  in  Illinois.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Peck  was  born  in 
Connecticut,  October  31,  1789,  and  came  to  St.  Louis  late  in  the  year 
1817.  In  1819  he  examined  the  present  site  of  Upper  Alton  as  a  location 
for  a  seminary.  In  1820  he  selected  lands  some  eight  and  one  half 
miles  north  east  of  Belleville.  A  group  of  springs  issues  forth  near  the 
roadside,  hence  the  name  Rock  Spring.  Dr.  Peck  was  a  missionary  and 
was  commissioned  "to  spread  the  gospel  and  promote  common  schools." 


THE  ROCK  SPRING  SEMINARY,  FOUNDED  BY  REV.  JOHN  M.  PECK 

He  moved  his  family  to  Rock  Spring  in  the  summer  of  1822.  From 
1822  to  1824  he  was  absorbed  in  the  fight  against  slavery,  and  was  not 
able  to  give  his  attention  to  the  matter  of  founding  a  school  for  higher 
education.  In  the  early  part  of  1825  one  John  M.  Ellis,  a  Presbyterian 
missionary  was  passing  along  the  public  road  leading  eastward  from 
East  St.  Louis  past  Rock  Spring  and  on  to  Lebanon.  At  the  spring  he 
heard  the  sounds  of  an  axe.  He  stopped  and  upon  investigation  he 
discovered  the  Rev.  Dr.  Peck  hard  at  work  in  the  woods  and  when  ques- 
tioned by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Ellis  as  to  what  he  was  doing,  Dr.  Peck  replied 
that  he  was  building  a  theological  seminary.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Ellis  was 
greatly  impressed  with  his  short  visit  with  the  builder  of  a  theological 
seminary,  for  the  facts  are  that  in  less  than  a  year  he  had  drawn  up  a 
plan  for  the  founding  of  a  college  which  eventually  came  to  be  Illinois 
College,  Jacksonville. 

In  this  early  day  there  were  few  buildings  other  than  log  cabins,  but 
Mr.  Peck  was  building  for  many  years  to  come  and  the  seminary  build- 
ing was  a  frame  structure  two  stories  high,  the  walls  filled  in  with 
brick  and  plastered  over.  The  building  was  twenty  feet  by  thirty-two 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  383 

feet,  the  upper  story  being  used  as  a  dormitory  for  boys.  The  lower 
story  was  used  for  school  purposes.  There  were  two  wings  each  one 
story  high  attached  to  the  sides  of  the  front  of  the  building.  There  were 
two  log  cabins  near  and  these  three  buildings  constituted  the  "plant"  of 
the  Rock  Spring  Seminary,  the  first  school  established  as  a  higher  insti- 
tution of  learning. 

The  Rock  Spring  Seminary  was  opened  in  November,  1827.  One  of 
the  few  pupils  to  enter  was  William  H.  Rider  from  Carrollton,  Greene 
county,  Illinois.  Young  Rider  was  twelve  years  old  when  he  entered 
Rock  Spring  Seminary  in  November,  1827.  He  says  the  small  boys  slept 
in  the  second  story  on  straw  beds  laid  on  the  floor.  It  appears,  however, 
that  Mr.  Rider  stayed  nearly  all  his  time  in  the  home  of  the  president, 
Mr.  Peck.  "He  was  one  of  the  most  industrious  men  I  ever  knew." 

The  Rev.  James  Bradley  was  a  sort  of  vice  principal  and  had  charge 
of  the  school  in  the  absence  of  Dr.  Peck.  Dr.  John  Russell,  the  noted 
pioneer  scholar,  of  Bluffdale,  Greene  county,  was  a  teacher  from  the  first. 
He  served  as  principal  or  vice  president  during  the  second  year.  The 
school  had  an  average  attendance  during  the  first  four  years  of  fifty 
and  the  southern  end  of  the  state  was  well  represented. 

SHUETLEFF  COLLEGE 

In  1831  by  action  of  board  of  trustees  the  school  was  removed  to 
Upper  Alton  and  became  in  1832  the  Alton  Seminary.  Later  in  1835  or 
'36  the  school  received  a  charter,  and  the  name  was  changed  to  Alton 
College  and  in  honor  of  Benjamin  Shurtleff,  of  Boston,  the  name  was 
changed  to  that  of  Shurtleff. 

This  school  has  had  a  long  and  useful  career.  It  has  been  hampered 
for  lack  of  funds,  but  its  friends  have  never  weakened  in  their  loyalty 
and  the  interest  in  the  school  has  always  been  good.  John  M.  Palmer 
and  his  brother,  Elihu  J.  Palmer,  entered  the  school  in  1835.  They  were 
poor  boys  and  needed  to  earn  at  least  a  part  of  their  school  expenses. 
They  cleared  a  road  or  street  as  it  came  to  be,  of  trees  and  received  pay 
for  their  work  from  the  school.  The  street  leads  westward  from  the 
college  to  the  present  city  of  Alton.  There  were  three  graduates  in  1837 
and  none  other  till  1842.  From  that  day  to  the  present,  with  few  ex- 
ceptions, classes  have  been  graduated  each  year. 

"During  the  war  the  number  of  students  greatly  decreased,  and  the 
very  life  of  the  school  was  threatened  for  a  time.  Of  former  students, 
and  those  in  attendance  at  the  outbreak  of  the  war,  about  one  hundred 
and  forty  enlisted  in  the  service  of  their  country.  Several  of  the  stu- 
dents rose  to  great  distinction  as  soldiers,  becoming  majors,  colonels, 
brigadier  generals,  and  major  generals. 

"Shurtleff  College  has  been  of  incalculable  benefit  to  the  Baptist 
denomination  in  the  state  of  Illinois,  and  its  graduates  are  occupying 
positions  of  influence  and  responsibility  in  all  parts  of  the  union.  They 
have  distinguished  themsetlves,  not  only  by  their  patriotism  and  bravery 
in  times  of  war,  but  as  editors,  jurists  and  statesmen,  preachers  and 
men  of  business. 

"The  future  of  the  College  was  never  so  well  assured,  or  so  full  of 
bright  promise  as  it  is  today." 

The  school  is  under  the  immediate  control  of  the  Rev.  David  G.  Ray, 
L.  H.  D.,  senior  regent.  The  school  has  a  number  of  beautiful  build- 


384  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

ings  in  a  campus  set  with  native  oaks  on  a  high  bluff  overlooking  the 
Father  of  Waters. 

McKENDREE  COLLEGE 

There  can  be  little  doubt  that  the  vision  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Peck  as  he 
chopped  away  on  the  logs  which  would  enter  the  Rock  Spring  Seminary 
as  lumber,  was  also  seen  by  others  beside  Dr.  Peck  and  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Ellis,  for  the  people  of  Lebanon,  a  straggling  village  not  more  than  three 
miles  from  Rock  Spring,  were  shortly  dreaming  of  a  college  which 
should  eventually  adorn  one  of  the  beautiful  hills  in  the  outskirts  of 
their  future  city.  Peter  Cartwright  attended  the  Methodist  conference 
held  at  Mt.  Carmel  in  September  1827.  He  presented  a  memorial  from 
Greene  county  to  the  conference  asking  that  body  to  take  steps  to  estab- 
lish a  "Conference  Seminary."  A  committee  was  appointed  to  look 
into  the  matter.  In  February  1828  the  people  of  Lebanon,  then  a  town 
of  two  hundred  people,  drew  up  articles  of  association  ' '  for  the  erection 
of  an  edifice  for  a  seminary  of  learning."  There  was  bitter  rivalry  in 
those  days  between  the  sects,  or  denominations,  and  no  doubt  the  people 
of  Lebanon  were  greatly  stirred  to  start  their  school  by  the  success  than 
attending  the  Rev.  Mr.  Peck's  school  at  Rock  Spring.  A  subscription 
list  signed  by  104  persons  for  $1,385.00  was  soon  secured.  Trustees  were 
selected  and  buildings  put  under  construction. 

The  school  was  opened  in  the  fall  of  1828,  one  year  after  the  open- 
ing of  Rock  Spring  Seminary,  with  an  enrollment  of  seventy-two  stu- 
dents. The  first  year  the  school  was  housed  in  two  buildings  belonging 
to  the  public  and  used  for  subscription  schools.  Mr.  E.  R.  Ames,  after- 
wards Bishop  in  the  M.  E.  church,  was  the  first  principal.  His  assistant 
was  a  Miss  McMurphy.  Principal  Ames  received  $115.00  for  his  services 
for  the  first  term,  while  Miss  McMurphy  received  $83.33. 

The  college  building  was  completed  by  the  fall  of  1829.  (It  burned 
in  1856.)  In  1830  the  Methodist  conference  accepted  the  offer  of  the 
board  of  trustees  and  the  school  was  taken  under  the  "fostering  care" 
of  the  Methodist  church.  Up  to  this  time  the  school  was  known  as  the 
Lebanon  Seminary.  About  1831  Bishop  McKendree  made  a  gift  to  the 
school  of  four  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  land  and  the  name  was 
changed  to  McKendree  College.  In  1835  a  bill  was  drawn  in  the  legis- 
lature and  enacted  into  law  creating  four  corporations  to  be  known  as : 
"The  Trustees  of  the  Alton  College  of  Illinois,"  "The  Trustees  of  Illi- 
nois College,"  "The  Trustees  of  the  McKendreean  College,"  "The 
Trustees  of  the  Jonesboro  College."  The  bill  named  the  board  of  trus- 
tees for  each  college,  and  locates  the  schools  respectively  in  Upper  Al- 
ton, in  Morgan  county,  in  Lebanon,  and  at  or  near  Jonesboro.  This 
charter  contained  a  clause  which  shut  out  any  chance  for  theological  de- 
partments, for  it  "provided,  however,  that  nothing  herein  contained 
shall  authorize  the  establishment  of  a  theological  department  in  either 
of  said  colleges."  It  provided  further  that  "The  said  colleges  and  their 
preparatory  departments  shall  be  open  to  all  denominations  of  Chris- 
tians." The  four  colleges  were  to  serve  respectively  the  four  leading 
denominations  in  Illinois  at  that  time,  namely — the  Baptist,  the  Pres- 
byterian, the  Methodist,  and  the  Christian. 

McKendree  Collesre  at  Lebanon  claims  to  be  the  oldest  Methodist 
college  west  of  the  Alleghany  mountains.  It  has  lived  long  and  has  had 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  385 

an  honorable  career.  To  be  sure  in  its  earlier  years  it  was  obliged  to  ac- 
cept students  whose  preparation  was  necessarily  of  a  very  limited  char- 
acter. In  recent  years  all  lines  of  work  not  purely  collegiate  have  been 
eliminated  and  only  two  courses  are  offered — classical  and  scientific, 
with  seventy-six  per  cent  of  the  students  taking  the  classical  course. 

The  first  president  under  the  charter  was  the  Rev.  Peter  Akers.  The 
first  class  was  graduated  in  1841 — seven  in  all  and  all  classical  students. 
In  1848  a  paper  was  started  known  as  the  Illinois  Advocate  and  Lebanon 
Journal.  It  was  a  religious  paper,  and  was  eventually  moved  to  St. 
Louis  and  called  the  Central  Christian  Advocate.  It  is  now  published 
in  Kansas  City.  Its  editor  while  it  was  in  Lebanon  was  Dr.  Erastus 
Wentworth. 

Within  the  past  few  years  the  school  has  come  into  some  prominence 
in  Southern  Illinois  because  of  the  interest  which  Governor  Charles  S. 
Deneen  has  taken  in  it.  His  father  was  a  teacher  in  the  school  for  many 
years  and  the  Governor  was  a  student  there.  He  has  greatly  assisted 
the  school  by  liberal  donations  and  by  lending  his  counsel  to  the  board 
of  trustees.  The  Rev.  Dr.  John  Harmon  is  the  present  president,  under 
whose  direction  the  college  is  enjoying  a  gratfying  prosperity. 

The  Illinois  College  provided  for  in  the  "Omnibus"  charter  of  1835 
was  founded  in  1829  and  has  had  an  interesting  history.  For  a  full 
history  of  Illinois  College  see  the  life  and  works  of  Dr.  Edward  Beecher, 
Dr.  Sturtevant,  Jonathan  Turner,  and  the  "Yale  Band."  The  school  is 
located  in  the  western  edge  of  Jacksonville  and  being  beyond  our  terri- 
torial limits  we  shall  not  attempt  a  sketch  of  its  founding  and  life  work. 

The  fourth  college  provided  for  was  to  be  known  as  the  Jonesboro 
College.  It  was  to  be  located  at  or  near  Jonesboro  in  Union  county. 
The  trustees  named  in  the  charter  were :  B.  W.  Brooks,  Augustus  Rix- 
leben,  Winstead  Davie,  John  S.  Hacker,  and  others. 

There  is  no  record  or  knowledge  of  any  steps  having  been  taken  to 
organize  this  school.  A  careful  inquiry  among  the  old  settlers  does  not 
reveal  any  satisfactory  information  concerning  the  project. 

EWING  COLLEGE 

Ewing  College,  located  in  the  town  of  Ewing,  some  eight  miles  north 
of  Benton,  the  county  seat  of  Franklin  county,  though  not  so  old  nor  so 
flourishing  as  either  McKendree  or  Shurtleff,  has  nevertheless  been  an 
important  factor  in  the  work  of  education  in  Southern  Illinois.  The 
school  had  its  beginning  in  a  high  school  organized  in  December  1867. 
Professor  John  Washburn,  D.  D.,  was  the  first  principal.  In  1874  a 
charter  was  secured  which  created  the  school  Ewing  College.  Dr.  Wash- 
burn  continued  as  president  of  the  college.  He  has  served  in  that  ca- 
pacity three  different  terms.  Rev.  William  Shelton,  D.  D.,  was  presi- 
dent four  years  and  Dr.  J.  A.  Leavitt  served  for  ten  years.  Dr.  W.  A. 
Mathews  is  now  the  president.  There  are  some  sixteen  members  of  the 
faculty  with  an  enrollment  of  some  two  hundred  students.  Ewing  is 
not  on  any  railroad  and  the  town  is  small  and  these  facts  are  urged  as 
advantages  in  sending  young  people  to  school.  Considerable  stress  is 
placed  upon  Bible  study  and  upon  the  genuine  religious  character  of 
teachers,  students,  and  citizens.  Several  prizes  are  given  in  oratory, 
music,  literary  production,  etc.  The  college  is  under  the  control  of  the 
Baptist  brotherhood. 

Vol.    1—25 


386  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

THE  SOUTHERN  COLLEGIATE  INSTITUTE 

This  school  is  located  at  Albion,  and  is  a  Junior  College  which  grew 
out  of  a  county  normal  which  was  begun  in  Albion  about  the  year  1889. 
In  1891  the  school  was  turned  over  to  the  Association  of  Congregational 
Churches  in  Southern  Illinois.  The  college  has  an  endowment  of  $50,000, 
andi  is  just  now  completing  a  beautiful  new  three  story  college  building. 
The  school  has  grown  in  numbers  from  8  to  150  students.  The  president 
of  the  school  is  Rev.  Prank  B.  Hines.  The  aim  of  the  school  is  to  develop 
a  high  grade  of  Christian  character.  The  environment  is  very  favorable 
to  this  end.  Albion  and  Edwards  county  have  for  many  years  occupied 
a  unique  place  in  Southern  Illinois.  It  is  a  healthful  region.  The  town 
has  not  had  a  saloon  for  forty  years.  The  calaboose  and  jail  are  rarely 
occupied.  Circuit  court  is  held  twice  a  year  and  three  days  are  usually 
sufficient  time  to  dispose  of  all  litigation.  The  explanation  of  all  this  is 
found  in  the  character  of  the  early  settlers — English  Quakers,  Puritans, 
and  Moravians. 

While  the  college  is  under  the  auspices  of  the  Congregational  church, 
young  men  and  young  women  of  all  denominations  are  welcomed  to  the 
advantages  of  the  school.  Much  stress  is  put  upon  the  importance  and 
value  of  Christian  culture.  The  school  numbers  among  its  graduates  law- 
yers, doctors,  legislators,  educators,  and  other  valuable  members  of 
society. 

GREENVILLE  COLLEGE 

Greenville  College  was  founded  in  1892  under  the  auspices  of  the 
Free  Methodist  Church.  The  property  was  formerly  known  as  Almira 
College,  and  was  a  school  of  collegiate  grade  for  young  ladies,  opened  in 
1855.  The  principal  contributors  making  possible  the  original  purchase 
in  1892  were  Mrs.  Ellen  Rowland,  James  T.  Grice,  James  H.  Moss,  and 
W.  S.  Dann. 

Ministerial  scholarships  have  been  founded  to  the  number  of  ten  by 
John  A.  Augsbury  of  Watertown,  New  York. 

The  first  president  was  Rev.  Wilson  Thomas  Hogue,  Ph.  D.,  holding 
his  office  for  twelve  years.  His  successor  was  Rev.  Augustin  L.  Whit- 
comb,  M.  S.,  who  was  president  for  three  and  one-half  years.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Eldon  G.  Burritt,  A.  M.,  who  is  the  present  incumbent. 

The  organization  of  the  college  includes  in  addition  to  the  College  of 
Liberal  Arts  and  the  preparatory  department,  the  associated  depart- 
partments  of  theology,  education,  music,  commercial  science  and  public 
speaking. 

The  average  attendance  is  three  hundred  students,  with  about  one 
hundred  in  the  college  department.  The  college  emphasizes  strongly  the 
importance  of  religion  as  a  factor  in  education.  This  emphasis  has  at- 
tracted students  from  widely  separated  sections,  some  twenty-five  states 
being  represented  from  year  to  year  in  the  student  body. 

The  college  has  been  from  the  first  a  strongly  missionary  institution, 
and  thirty  of  its  students  have  gone  to  the  foreign  field.  In  the  com- 
paratively brief  history  of  its  existence,  an  unusually  large  number  of 
students  and  graduates  have  become  prominent  in  business  and  pro- 
fessional life. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 
SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  COLLEGE 

FIRST  BUILDING  ERECTED — "THE  HERALD  OF  TRUTH" — COLLEGE  REVIVED 
— CHARTER  SECURED — CLOSED  IN  1870. 

In  the  catalogue  of  the  Southern  Illinois  College  for  the  year  ending 
June  1868,  the  following  occurs  as  a  part  of  the  historical  sketch  of  that 
school :  ' '  The  project  of  a  college  in  Southern  Illinois  originated  in  the 
Presbyterian  Synod  held  at  Decatur  in  1856.  Here  it  was  resolved  to 
build  a  college  in  Southern  Illinois  at  some  point  on  the  Illinois  Central 
railroad,  and  that  it  should  be  located  where  the  most  money  should  be 
subscribed  by  the  citizens."  In  a  history  of  Presbyterianism  in  Illinois 
there  is  no  mention  of  the  action  of  the  Synod  in  this  matter  for  the 
year  1856.  But  in  the  minutes  of  the  Presbytery  of  Alton  held  in  Mt. 
Vernon  in  April  1856,  and  in  an  adjourned  or  called  session  held  in 
Carbondale  in  June  17,  1856,  there  is  a  a  reference  to  "measures  taken 
to  establish  Carbondale  College." 

The  catalogue  referred  to  above  further  says  as  a  part  of  the  histori- 
cal sketch:  "Circulars  were  distributed  along  the  road  announcing  the 
design  of  the  Synod,  and  making  this  offer  to  the  citizens.  On  May  26, 
1856,  a  meeting  was  held  in  the  west  side  school-house  in  Carbondale  of 
representatives  of  the  various  competing  places,  when  it  was  found 
Carbondale  had  subscribed  nearly  double  the  amount  of  any  other  lo- 
cality, and,  of  course  it  was  determined  to  locate  the  school  here  (in 
Carbondale).  Henry  Sanders,  J.  M.  Campbell,  D.  H.  Bush,  Asgil  Con- 
ner, -  -  Barrow,  and  others  were  prominent  for  their  liberality." 

Nothing  further  seems  to  have  been  done  until  1858  when  Messrs. 
Rapp,  Edwards,  Hill,  and  Burdic  began  erecting  a  building  which  stood 
for  many  years  and  was  known  as  the  college. 

FIRST  BUILDING  ERECTED 

The  structure  was  a  two  story  brick  with  basement,  and  was  nearly 
completed  in  1861,  lacking  some  of  the  interior  furnishings.  Before  the 
building  was  completed  a  school  had  been  advertised  and  opened  as  the 
Carbondale  College.  This  school  was  begun  in  the  upper  story  of  the 
store  of  J.  M.  Campbell.  When  the  college  building  was  completed  this 
school  was  moved  into  the  new  quarters  in  the  southeastern  part  of  the 
city.  The  school  which  was  started  in  the  Campbell  building  was  in 
charge  of  the  Rev.  W.  S.  Post,  at  that  time  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian 
church  of  Carbondale.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Post  was  pastor  or  supply  for  the 
Presbyterian  church  from  1856  to  1861  when  he  enlisted  in  the  army  as 

387 


388  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

chaplain.  When  Mr.  Post  left  the  church  at  the  beginning  of  the  war 
his  place  as  pastor  and  teacher  was  taken  by  the  Rev.  J.  Russell  Johnson 
who  taught  in  the  college  from  '62  to  '64.  The  school  was  not  self-sup- 
porting, the  Synod  and  Presbytery  failed  to  come  to  its  rescue,  and  it 
was  closed.  The  building  cost  some  ten  or  twelve  thousand  dollars.  A 
portion  of  this  amount  was  raised  in  cash  subscriptions  throughout  the 
south  end  of  the  state,  but  a  large  share  of  the  cost  was  carried  by  Mr. 
D.  H.  Brush  and  Mr.  J.  M.  Campbell.  It  seems  that  the  Illinois  Central 
people  wished  to  make  a  flourishing  city  of  De  Soto  six  miles  north  of 
Carbondale  and  to  that  end  would  not  provide  Carbondale  with  an 
operator.  In  many  other  ways  the  road  seemed  to  favor  De  Soto  at  the 
expense  of  Carbondale.  Mr.  D.  H.  Brush,  a  public  spirited  citizen  of  the 
young  town  of  Carbondale,  paid  out  of  his  own  pocket  the  salary  of  a 
telegraph  operator  for  a  year  or  so  until  the  business  justified  the  em- 


THE  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  COLLEGE,  CARBONDALE,  JACKSON  COUNTY 

ployment  of  one  by  the  railroad.  In  his  determination  to  keep  Carbon- 
dale  to  the  front  he  advanced  a  considerable  share  of  the  money  for  the 
college  and  thus  became  its  creditor  for  some  six  or  seven  thousand  dol- 
lars. 

During  the  years  1865  and  1866  the  building  was  used  for  school 
purposes  by  the  Carbondale  school  district.  The  Rev.  Andrew  Luce,  pas- 
tor of  the  Presbyterian  church  was  the  principal  in  the  employ  of  the 
district.  When  it  was  seen  that  the  college  could  not  be  maintained  the 
property  was  turned  over  to  Messrs.  Brush  and  Campbell,  the  principal 
creditors. 

THE  HERALD  OP  TRUTH 

In  the  spring  of  1866  the  Christian  churches  of  Southern  Illinois  be- 
gan the  agitation  for  the  establishment  of  a  college  and  of  a  church 
paper  in  Southern  Illinois.  Among  those  who  lead  in  this  agitation 
were  S.  R.  Wilson,  a  Mr.  Lindsay,  and  B.  F.  Pope,  of  DuQuoin ;  William 
Schwartz,  of  Elkville ;  J.  H.  Reeves,  and  II.  D.  Banteau,  of  De  Soto.  In 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  389 

March  1866  a  paper  was  started  in  De  Soto  under  the  auspices  of  the 
Christian  church  and  under  the  immediate  charge  of  Rev.  H.  D.  Ban- 
teau.  The  name  of  the  paper  was  The  Herald  of  Truth.  The  college 
proposition  was  still  unsettled  and  two  meetings  were  held  in  DuQuoin 
in  the  summer  of  1866,  and  later  one  in  De  Soto  in  which  the  college 
matter  was  considered.  Carbondale  was  a  growing  town  and  was  ambi- 
tious in  educational  lines.  The  old  Carbondale  College  building  was 
standing  idle  except  during  short  terms  of  the  public  school.  The 


THE  REV.  CLAKK  BEADEN,  PRESIDENT  op  THE  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  COLLEGE 

owners  Messrs.  Brush  and  Campbell  proposed  to  turn  over  the  building 
and  thirty  acres  of  ground  for  $12,000.  In  the  event  of  its  acceptance 
by  the  Christian  churches  of  Southern  Illinois,  Mr.  Brush  would  sub- 
scribe five  hundred  dollars,  and  Mr.  Campbell  would  subscribe  five 
thousand  dollars.  This  latter  amount  was  all  of  Mr.  Campbell's  inter- 
est in  the  building.  This  left  $6,500  to  be  provided  for  by  the  friends  of 
the  new  college.  The  trade  was  consummated  and  a  provisional  board 
of  trustees  selected  to  take  charge  of  the  property  and  to  open  the 
school. 

COLLEGE  REVIVED 

The  school  opened  the  first  day  of  October  1866.  The  school  had 
been  advertised  but  one  week  and  on  the  opening  day  there  were  present 
these  five  students:  Butler  Hall,  Benjamin  Johnson,  Hayes  Mulkey, 
Mollie  Yost,  Robert  Yost. 


390  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

The  board  of  trustees  had  secured  the  services  of  the  Rev.  Clark 
Braden  and  his  wife  of  Centralia.  Mr.  Braden  and  the  five  students  laid 
out  their  work  for  the  first  term  and  after  due  deliberation  it  was  de- 
cided to  adjourn  the  school  for  one  week,  and  in  the  interim  make  some 
needed  repairs  on  the  building  and  try  to  secure  additional  students. 
There  were  few  things  about  the  whole  situation  which  would  make  one 
think  of  a  college.  No  furniture,  maps,  blackboards  or  other  educational 
appliances,  the  building  was  dirty,  window  panes  were  out,  and  other 
marks  of  general  neglect  were  apparent.  When  school  opened  on  the 
second  Monday  there  were  three  new  students  ready  to  enroll  and  the 
term  opened  with  eight  earnest  students. 

Before  the  opening  of  the  winter  term,  in  January  1867,  the  assembly 
hall  was  seated  with  patent  seats.  Charts,  maps,  globes,  blackboards, 
and  other  necessary  helps  were  provided,  and  the  school  was  without 
doubt  the  best  equipped  school  in  Southern  Illinois.  The  fall  term 
closed  with  forty-four  students  enrolled.  The  winter  term  enrolled  sev- 
enty-five, and  in  the  spring  term  the  enrollment  was  one  hundred  and 
five.  In  all  one  hundred  and  forty-two  different  students  were  registered 
the  first  year — eighty-eight  young  men  and  fifty-four  young  ladies. 

The  second  year  the  seating  capacity  was  enlarged  to  three  hundred 
and  twenty  students,  and  other  provisions  for  a  large  attendance  were 
made.  Additional  rooms  were  provided  in  the  basement,  stairways  were 
constructed  to  the  second  and  third  floors.  The  catalogue  for  the  second 
year  shows  the  board  of  trustees  as  follows :  John  A.  Williams,  Salem ; 
Lysias  Heape,  Tamaroa;  Simpson  Frazier,  Centralia;  B.  F.  Pope,  Du- 
Quoin;  William  Schwartz,  Elkville;  John  Hall,  Blairsville;  Dr.  L.  H. 
Redd,  De  Soto;  Dr.  John  Ford,  Murphysboro;  Stephen  Blair,  Carbon- 
dale;  Daniel  Gilbert,  Carbondale;  John  Goodall,  Marion;  George  W. 
Ferril,  Cobden ;  Dr.  S.  R.  Hay,  Cairo.  Officers  of  the  board :  William 
Schwartz,  president;  Stephen  Blair,  treasurer;  B.  F.  Pope,  secretary. 
Faculty:  Clark  Braden,  ££ M.,  ancient  languages  and  mathematics; 
James  H.  Nutting,  A.  B.,  rhetoric  and  science ;  Mrs.  Sarah  Braden,  elo- 
cution and  penmanship ;  Miss  Lydia  Pierce ;  Mjss  Mary  E.  Bond,  Ger- 
man, French,  needlework;  Mrs.  V.  K.  De  Yo,  drawing,  painting;  Miss  H. 
C.  Campbell,  instrumental  music  ^Ai  D.  Fillmore,  R.  J.  Young,  vocal 
music.  The  total  enrollment  for  the  second  year  was:  Young  men,  186; 
young  ladies,  132;  total,  318.  By  terms,  fall  term,  190;  winter  term, 
193 ;  spring  term,  215 ;  total,  598. 

CHARTER  SECURED 

A  charter  was  secured  from  the  legislature  in  the  early  part  of  the 
year  1867.  The  following  copied  from  the  journal  of  the  senate  is  self 
explanatory. 

"Thursday,  January  21,  1867. 

"Mr.  (Samuel  K.)  Casey  introduced  senate  bill  326  for  an  act  for 
the  relief  of  the  Southern  Illinois  College  at  Carbondale,  Jackson  county, 
which  was  read  a  first  time  and  ordered  to  a  second  reading.  On  motion 
of  Mr.  Casey  the  rule  was  dispensed  with,  and  the  bill  read  a  second 
time  and  referred  to  the  committee  on  education."  The  bill  failed  to 
pass. 

In  the  summer  of  1868  the  college  was  instrumental  in  getting  an 
educational  convention  called  for  Carbondale,  in  June,  at  which  conven- 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  391 

tion  the  need  of  a  State  Normal  school  for  Southern  Illinois  was  dis- 
cussed. In  the  session  of  the  General  Assembly  in  the  spring  of  1869  an 
act  was  passed  creating  the  Southern  Illinois  Normal  University.  The 
board  of  trustees  eventually  located  the  school  in  Carbondale. 

CLOSED  IN  1870 

In  the  years  1869  and  1870  the  Southern  Illinois  College  ran  behind 
in  financial  matters  and  the  president,  Mr.  Clark  Braden,  was  forced  to 
give  a  considerable  share  of  his  time  to  the  publication  of  some  books  the 
income  from  which  would  relieve  him  and  the  school  from  their  financial 
embarrassment.  In  consequence  of  this  forced  neglect  of  his  work  the 
school  lost  its  hold  upon  the  people  and  its  efficiency  was  considerably 
lessened.  Then  the  State  Normal  school  was  located  in  Carbondale  and 
was  expected  to  meet  the  needs  of  this  end  of  the  state.  Mr.  Braden 's  col- 
lege had  been  very  popular  as  a  training  school  for  young  teachers,  but 
the  college  could  not  hope  to  compete  with  a  state  school  with  liberal  ap- 
propriations, and  so  the  work  of  the  school  was  closed  in  the  summer  of 
1870,  and  the  property  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  creditors.  These 
shortly  after  sold  the  buildings  and  grounds  to  the  school  district  for  pub- 
lic school  use.  The  college  building  served  the  use  of  the  school  district 
for  the  next  thirty  years  since  which  time  its  place  has  been  taken  by  an 
elegant  modern  school  building. 

It  is  the  belief  of  those  who  attended  the  old  Southern  Illinois  College 
and  of  those  in  touch  with  the  spirit  and'  methods  of  work  therein  that 
the  college  served  a  great  purpose  in  enkindling  the  educational  flame  in 
Egypt  and  that  had  the  school  been  backed  by  strong  financial  interests 
it  would  have  filled  a  much  larger  sphere  of  usefulness  in  the  educational 
world. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 
STATE  SCHOOLS  FOE  HIGHER  EDUCATION 

STATE  AID  AND  LEGISLATION — SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  HIGH  SCHOOLS — 
SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  NORMAL  UNIVERSITY — WORK  OP  THE  STATE 
TEACHERS  ASSOCIATION — LEGISLATURE  CREATES  NORMAL  UNIVERSITY — 
EDUCATIONAL  CONVENTIONS — CARBONDALE,  SITE  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLI- 
NOIS NORMAL  UNIVERSITY — UNIVERSITY  OPENED — BUILDING  BURNED 
— THE  NEW  MAIN  BUILDING — GENERAL  REVIEW. 

We  have  shown  that  the  first  schools  were  of  the  nature  of  private 
instruction.  The  teacher  was  a  wanderer,  not  always  with  sufficient 
education  to  instruct  in  even  the  rudiments — reading,  writing,  and  spell- 
ing— and  frequently  of  doubtful  character.  He  seldom  taught  two 
terms  in  the  same  locality.  The  slight  progress  made  by  boys  and  girls 
under  such  instruction  is  to  be  attributed  to  the  unquenchable  desire 
for  knowledge  rather  than  to  the  fitness  of  the  system  or  the  proficiency 
of  the  teacher.  We  have  shown  that  this  meager  schooling  was  now 
and  then  supplemented  by  the  instruction  given  by  ministers  of  the  gos- 
pel who,  coming  from  the  older  settled  states,  were  often  men  with  col- 
legiate training.  And  again  that  it  was  not  unusual  to  send  the  boy 
back  to  the  older  states  for  some  seminary  or  collegiate  instruction.  In 
the  preceding  pages  w«  have  reviewed  the  origin  and  growth  of  private 
and  church  schools  for  higher  education.  In  this  chapter  we  shall  see 
what  the  state  has  done  to  meet  this  demand  for  advanced  instruction 
and  discipline. 

STATE  AID  AND  LEGISLATION 

When  it  is  remembered  that  the  state  did  little  or  nothing  for  the 
common  schools  prior  to  1855,  it  will  not  be  difficult  to  understand  why 
state  aid  was  so  long  in  coming  to  the  support  of  any  agency  of  higher 
education.  However,  the  state  was  liberal  in  granting  charters  for  acad- 
emies, colleges,  and  for  "school  districts."  In  1837  the  general  assem- 
bly passed  an  act,  known  as  a  charter,  empowering  the  common  council 
of  the  city  of  Alton  "to  establish  elementary  or  common  schools,  where- 
in reading,  writing,  arithmetic,  geography,  grammar,  and  other  useful 
branches  of  an  English  education  may  be  taught."  To  this  end  the 
common  council  was  authorized  to  assess  a  tax  upon  personal  property 
and  real  estate  sufficient  to  raise  the  necessary  funds  for  buildings, 
equipment,  teachers,  etc.,  provided  the  rate  should  not  exceed  one  quar- 
ter per  cent  on  the  taxable  property.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  com- 
mon council  could  establish  schools  in  which,  in  addition  to  the  studies 

392 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  393 

usually  regarded  as  elementary  and  preparatory,  "other  useful  branches 
of  an  English  education"  might  be  taught.  In  a  very  early  day  the  Al- 
ton school  did  include  in  its  curriculum  advanced  studies  many  of  which 
are  now  found  in  the  high  school  courses. 

The  legislature  granted  in  all  thirty -seven  of  these  "special  char- 
ters ' '  creating  school  districts,  in  various  cities  in  the  state,  only  three  of 
which  cities  are  within  the  limits  of  Southern  Illinois,  namely:  Alton, 
Upper  Alton,  and  Sparta.  However,  every  one  of  these  charters  except 
the  one  granted  to  Alton  in  1837,  was  granted  after  1855  and  prior  to 
1870.  In  each  charter  there  was  authority  explicit  or  implied  whereby 
the  board  was  authorized  to  provide  for  such  "other  useful  branches  of 
an  English  education, ' '  as  were  considered  necessary.  Here  then  is  the 
entering  wedge  of  the  modern  city  high  schools.  For  example  in  the 
charter  creating  the  "Sparta  school  district"  the  governing  body  is 
known  as  the  board  of  education ;  and  section  8  of  the  charter  reads  as 
follows :  ' '  Said  board  of  education  shall  establish  a  system  of  graded 
schools  in  said  corporate  school  limits,  commencing  with  a  primary 
grade  and  ending  with  a  high  school  .  .  . 

In  1851  Dr.  Newton  Bateman  organized  the  West  Jacksonville  Dis- 
trict School  by  creating  four  departments — primary,  intermediate, 
grammar,  and  high  school.  Dr.  Bateman  says  that  all  departments  were 
made  free  to  resident  pupils  prior  to  the  passage  of  the  school  law  of 
1855.  The  high  school  course  fitted  for  college  ' '  and  it  was  the  first  gen- 
uine high  school  in  the  state  which  was  a  free  school. ' '  The  Peoria  high 
school  was  organized  in  1856  with  Charles  E.  Hovey  as  principal,  and  the 
Chicago  high  school  followed  the  same  year  with  C.  A.  Dupee  as  prin- 
cipal. 

There  was  no  provision  in  the  enactment  of  1855  specially  authoriz- 
ing the  organization  and  the  maintenance  of  a  high  school.  Nor  is  there 
any  specific  law  now  authorizing  high  schools  outside  of  the  township 
high  school,  but  by  a  liberal  interpretation  of  the  laws  as  they  are  found 
upon  our  statute  books  we  can  organize  a  high  school  in  any  district 
where  public  sentiment  will  support  it.  In  the  seventh  article  of  the 
school  law — the  article  dealing  with  teachers  and  certificates — we  find  in 
section  three  the  studies  upon  which  the  county  superintendent  may  ex- 
amine the  prospective  teacher.  These  are  for  first  grade  certificates — or- 
thography, reading,  penmanship,  arithmetic,  English  grammar,  mod- 
ern geography,  civics,  the  elements  of  the  natural  sciences,  the  history  of 
the  United  States,  the  history  of  Illinois,  physiology  and  the  laws  of 
health.  The  purpose  of  the  examination  in  these  branches  is  primarily 
to  see  if  the  candidate  is  familiar  enough  with  the  subjects  to  teach  them. 
Now,  in  section  six  of  this  same  seventh  article,  we  find  this:  "Every 
school  established  under  the  provisions  of  this  act  shall  be  for  instruc- 
tion in  the  branches  of  education  prescribed  in  the  qualification  for 
teachers,  and  in  such  other  branches,  including  vocal  music  and  draw- 
ing, as  the  directors  or  the  voters  of  the  district  at  the  annual  election  of 
directors  may  direct. ' '  Here  then  we  find  the  authority  for  the  modern 
city  high  school. 

In  pursuance  of  the  provisions  of  this  article,  boards  of  education  in 
cities  and  boards  of  directors  in  towns  of  less  than  one  thousand  inhabi- 
tants, have  organized  high  schools  of  two.  three,  or  four  years,  according 
to  the  interest  in  education  which  prevails  in  the  locality. 

It  is  useless  to  try  to  conceal  the  fact  that  for  the  past  half  century 


394  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

the  educational  progress  of  the  central  and  northern  counties  of  the 
state  has  outstripped  that  in  Southern  Illinois.  The  free  school  idea  was 
an  innovation  foisted  upon  the  state  by  the  Yankees  who  settled  almost  al- 
together in  the  central  and  northern  counties.  The  early  settlers  of  South- 
ern Illinois  were  largely  if  not  altogether  from  the  slave-holding  states 
where  the -free  school  idea  had  taken  slight  hold  upon  the  affections  of 
the  people.  The  city  high  school  is  a  phase  of  the  free  high  school  idea. 
We  would  expect  therefore  that  the  city  high  school  would  secure  a  foot- 
hold in  the  northern  counties  much  earlier  than  in  the  southern  counties. 

SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  HIGH  SCHOOLS 

At  present  there  are  339  regularly  organized  city  high  schools  in  the 
state.  In  addition  there  are  fifty-six  township  high  schools,  making  a 
total  of  395  regular  four  year  high  schools.  Of  the  339  city  high  schools, 
forty  of  them  are  south  of  a  line  from  Alton  to  Terre  Haute.  And  of  the 
fifty-six  township  high  schools,  twelve  are  in  Southern  Illinois.  Thus 
out  of  a  total  of  three  hundred  and  ninety-five  high  schools  in  the  state 
fifty-two  of  them  are  south  of  the  old  National  Road.  It  is  proper  to 
add,  however,  that  there  are  in  Southern  Illinois  scores  of  well  organized 
village  and  town  schools  that  are  doing  one,  two,  or  three  years  of  high 
school  work ;  and  in  a  few  instances  the  work  covers  four  years,  but  such 
schools  are  excluded  in  the  census  of  regular  four  year  high  schools  on 
account  of  shortness  of  terms,  dearth  of  equipment,  or  character  of  prep- 
aration in  the  teaching  force. 

The  authority  to  organize  and  maintain  a  city  high  school  is  an  im- 
plied power  as  we  have  seen.  But  there  is  explicit  authority  for  the  or- 
ganization of  the  township  high  school.  Article  three,  of  the  school 
law,  deals  in  general  with  the  township  trustees.  Section  38  of  this  ar- 
ticle reads  as  follows:  "Upon  petition  of  not  less  than  fifty  voters  of 
any  school  township,  filed  with  the  township  treasurer,  at  least  fifteen 
days  preceding  the  regular  election  of  trustees,  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the 
said  township  trustees  to  notify  the  voters  of  said  township  that  an  elec- 
tion "for"  or  "against"  a  township  high  school  will  be  held  at  the  next 
regular  election  of  trustees,  by  putting  notices  of  such  election  in  at  least 
ten  of  the  most  public  places  throughout  such  township,  for  at  least  ten 
days  before  the  day  of  such  regular  election,  etc.  If  the  proposition 
carry  it  is  the  duty  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  township  to  hold  an 
election  of  a  township  board  of  education  which  board  shall  erect  build- 
ings and  organize  the  school. 

There  can  be  little  doubt  that  the  city  four  year  high  schools  and  the 
township  high  schools  of  Southern  Illinois  are  of  as  high  a  grade  as  can  be 
found  in  the  state.  It  may  occur  that  the  buildings  erected  for  high 
school  work  in  the  central  and  northern  parts  of  the  state  surpass  those 
of  Southern  Illinois  in  cost.  It  may  be  that  the  equipment  is  more  costly 
and  that  the  enrollment  is  larger,  yet  we  are  not  willing  to  concede  that 
the  character  of  the  instruction  is  superior  or  that  the  product  is  one  whit 
better.  And  there  is  at  least  one  element  of  strength  found  in  the  en- 
tire school  system  in  Southern  Illinois  which  is  largely  absent  in  the  sys- 
tem in  the  other  parts  of  the  state.  This  is  the  presence  of  male  teachers 
throughout  the  system.  In  many  coxinty  institutes  in  Egypt  one  may 
notice  that  a  majority  of  the  teaching  force  of  the  county  is  made  up  of 
men.  Another  noticeable  thing  is  a  matter  of  pride  to  an  Egyptian; 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  395 

the  per  cent  of  the  total  enrollment  in  the  high  schools  in  Southern  Illi- 
nois of  boys  is  greater  than  it  is  in  the  schools  farther  north. 

SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  NORMAL  UNIVERSITY 

But  the  crowning  act  on  the  part  of  the  state  in  the  effort  to  provide 
for  higher  education  and  better  instruction  in  the  grade  schools  and  high 
schools  is  found  in  the  act  of  the  general  assembly  which  created  the 
Southern  Illinois  (State)  Normal  University.  While  this  school  was 
brought  into  existence  primarily  for  the  training  of  teachers  for  the 
common  schools  of  this  end  of  the  state,  it  is  true  that  its  mission  in 
reality  has  been  in  a  wider  field.  It  has  served  the  state  well  in  the  lines 
of  general  training,  information,  and  culture.  The  law,  ordinarily 
called  the  charter  of  the  school,  was  passed  in  the  spring  of  1869,  and 
was  signed  by  Governor  John  M.  Palmer  April  20,  of  that  year. 

The  school  was  the  outgrowth  of  a  need  of  better  trained  teachers 
which  was  felt  not  only  in  Southern  Illinois  but  all  over  the  state.  As 
early  as  December,  1848,  a  meeting  was  called  by  the  Illinois  Journal  for 
Springfield  to  be  held  June  15,  1849.  Memorials  or  circulars  were  sent 
out  giving  some  notion  of  the  line  of  action  that  ought  to  be  taken  at 
the  Springfield  meeting.  One  thing  urged  was  the  ' '  Creation  of  a  State 
Normal  School  and  providing  for  its  support."  At  this  meeting  of 
January  15,  1849,  steps  were  taken  urging  the  creation  of  the  office  of 
State  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  and  another  resolution  as 
follows :  ' '  Resolved :  That  a  portion  of  the  College  and  Seminary  funds 
of  the  state  should  be  devoted  to  aid  in  the  education  of  common  school 
teachers. ' ' 

WORK  OF  THE  STATE  TEACHERS  '  ASSOCIATION 

An  Industrial  League  was  organized  in  Chicago  November  24,  1852. 
This  league  was  deeply  interested  in  the  training  of  teachers  and  it 
urged  the  founding  of  a  state  university  with  four  departments,  one  of 
which  and  the  one  first  named,  was  "A  Normal  School  Department." 
The  fourth  convention  of  the  League  was  held  in  Springfield,  January 
4,  1853.  At  this  meeting  the  establishing  of  a  state  university  was  con- 
sidered. Resolutions  were  passed  which  urged  Congress  to  donate  lands 
to  the  value  of  half  a  million  dollars  to  each  state  for  the  endowment  of 
a  system  of  Industrial  Universities  to  cooperate  with  the  Smithsonian 
Institute  and  for  the  practical  education  of  our  industrial  classes  and 
their  teachers.  The  fifth  convention  of  the  League  was  held  in  Spring- 
field January  1,  1855,  and  took  up  the  question  of  a  university  and  said : 

"The  object  of  the  institution  shall  be  to  impart  instruction  in  all 
departments  of  useful  knowledge,  science  and  art,  commencing  with 
those  departments  now  most  needed  by  the  citizens  of  the  state,  towit : 

"A  teachers'  seminary,  or  a  normal  school  department,  for  the  im- 
provement and  education  of  common  school  teachers." 

On  January  26,  1853,  in  Bloomington,  a  state  convention  was  held 
at  which  resolutions  were  passed  as  follows : 

1.  That  a  state  teachers'  institute  (association)  should  be  organized 
by  this  convention. 

2.  That  the  legislature  be  urged  to  create  the  office  of  State  Super- 
intendent of  Public  Instruction. 


396  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

3.  That  a  school  journal  ought  to  be  established. 

4.  That  this  convention  take  measures  to  secure  the  establishment  of 
a  Normal  School. 

5.  That  a  free  school  system  should  be  established. 

As  a  result  of  this  agitation  by  both  the  Industrial  League  and  by  the 
Educational  Convention,  which  came  to  be  called  the  State  Teachers'  In- 
stitute, the  legislature  of  1854  created  the  office  of  State  Superintendent 
of  Public  Instruction,  and  the  next  year  established  the  free  school  sys- 
tem very  much  as  it  is  today.  In  the  sixth  meeting  of  the  State  Teachers ' 
Institute,  held  in  Springfield,  December  26,  1855,  that  body  resolved — 
' '  That  the  Institute  does  not  wish  to  discuss  any  university  question,  but 
to  occupy  themselves  with  the  interests  of  the  common  schools  and  the 
Normal  Schools." 

In  all  this  discussion  there  was  in  no  sense  a  unanimity  of  opinion 
about  the  question  of  normal  schools  and  a  state  university.  The  Indus- 
trial League  was  for  a  university  with  a  normal  school  department  or 
for  a  normal  school  vitally  connected  with  an  agricultural  school.  Be- 
hind the  agricultural  idea  was  Prof.  Jonathan  Turner,  who  was  giving  a 
large  share  of  his  time  to  scientific  agriculture.  Then  there  were  those 
who  wanted  normal  schools  as  distinct  agents  to  prepare  young  people 
to  teach.  There  was  another  group  of  public  spirited  people  who  be- 
lieved the  state  should  in  some  way,  not  very  clearly  pointed  out,  pro- 
vide appropriations  to  be  used  in  the  denominational  schools  for  the 
maintenance  of  a  teacher-training  department. 

The  seventh  meeting  of  the  State  Teachers'  Association  was  held  in 
Chicago  in  December,  1856.  Charles  E.  Hovey  of  Peoria,  was  presi- 
dent of  the  meeting.  Mr.  Hovey  was  one  who  believed  that  the  normal 
school  idea  should  be  divorced  from  all  other  educational  projects,  and 
that  a  normal  school  should  be  established  which  would  be  free  from  all 
entangling  alliances.  Among  the  resolutions  was  one  which  read  as  fol- 
lows :  ' '  That  the  educational  interests  of  Illinois  demand  the  immediate 
establishment  of  a  State  Normal  School  for  the  education  of  teachers; 
and  ...  we  recommend  an  appropriation  by  the  next  legislature 
of  a  sufficient  sum  annually  for  the  next  five  years  to  support  such  a 
seminary  of  learning. ' '  At  this  Chicago  meeting  Prof.  Jonathan  Turner 
waived  his  objection  to  the  establishment  of  a  normal  school  without  the 
entangling  alliance  of  an  agricultural  school. 

LEGISLATURE  CREATES  NORMAL  UNIVERSITY 

The  legislature  which  met  in  January,  1857,  was  induced  to  pass  a 
bill  creating  a  Normal  University.  The  bill  was  signed  by  the  governor 
on  February  10,  1857.  A  body  of  men  fifteen  in  number  was  named  in 
the  bill  as  trustees  of  the  school.  The  State  Superintendent  was  ex- 
officio  a  member  and  was  considered  a  great  addition  to  the  board.  After 
considerable  delay  the  site  was  selected  for  the  school.  It  was  located 
just  north  of  Bloomington.  A  building  was  planned  and  its  erection 
begun,  the  corner  stone  being  laid,  September  29,  1857. 

Prof.  Charles  E.  Hovey  was  chosen  the  first  president,  and  on  October 
5,  1857,  the  school  was  opened  in  Major's  Hall  in  the  city  of  Blooming- 
ton,  with  twenty-nine  pupils  present  on  the  first  day.  The  number  en- 
rolled before  the  close  of  the  first  school  year  was  one  hundred  and 
twenty-seven.  There  were  aggravating  delays  in  the  progress  of  the 
building,  but  the  class  of  1860  graduated  in  the  unfinished  structure. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  397 

We  do  not  desire  to  follow  further  the  history  of  the  normal  school 
at  Normal.  What  has  been  given  will  enable  us  to  understand  the  hard 
fight  necessary  to  win  the  battle  for  normal  schools,  and  the  winning 
of  the  victory  in  1857,  made  some  easier  the  winning  of  a  similar  victory 
for  Southern  Illinois  in  1869.  The  educational  progress  which  the  state 
as  a  whole  had  made  from  1848  to  1868  had  not  greatly  affected  Southern 
Illinois.  There  was  not  at  the  latter  date  a  well  organized  high  school  in 
all  Southern  Illinois.  True  we  had  McKendree,  Shurtleff,  and  an  acad- 
emy here  or  there,  but  there  was  no  real  educational  spirit  in  all  Egypt. 
The  common  schools  were  at  a  very  low  ebb.  What  college  training 
there  was  supplied  the  bench,  the  bar,  the  pulpit,  and  the  doctor's  office. 
Pew  persons  receiving  a  college  education  would  think  of  going  into  the 
school  room  to  make  a  living  or  to  do  missionary  work. 

We  have  already  spoken  of  the  efforts  to  provide  training  schools 
for  teachers  in  the  church  schools  which  were  being  planted  in  various 
localities.  Church  schools  were  planted  in  many  localities  but  they 
never  seemed  to  gather  much  strength  and  hence  eked  out  a  miserable 
existence  financially.  One  such  church  school  was  founded  in  Carbon- 
dale  in  the  year  of  1856,  by  action  of  the  Presbyterian  synod.  It  was 
called  the  Carbondale  College.  It  was  opened  in  1861.  It  passed  into 
the  hands  of  the  Christian  Churches  of  Southern  Illinois  in  1866,  and 
in  October  of  that  year  school  was  opened  in  the  rooms  of  the  old  college 
building  by  Clark  Braden.  We  have  traced  the  history  of  the  school 
under  private  schools  and  need  not  give  it  here.  In  the  legislature  of 
1867,  a  charter  was  granted  entitled  "The  Southern  Illinois  College." 
At  the  same  session  or  probably  in  the  next  session  a  bill  was  introduced 
appropriating  fifteen  thousand  dollars  for  the  relief  of  the  school  on  the 
plea  that  it  had  a  normal  department,  but  on  the  grounds  that  it  was  a 
church  school  the  appropriation  could  not  be  made. 

EDUCATIONAL  CONVENTIONS 

In  April,  1868,  a  call  was  issued  for  an  educational  convention  to 
meet  in  Carbondale  in  June,  to  consider  the  educational  interests  of 
Southern  Illinois.  Among  other  things  mentioned  in  the  call  were  these : 

1.  To  hear  from  Superintendents  and  teachers  a  statement  of  wants 
in  their  section. 

2.  To  organize  a  Southern  Illinois  Educational  Association,  and  to 
discuss  the  best  means  of  securing  the  education  of  teachers  of  this  part 
of  the  state. 

3.  To  consider  any  other  matters  which  may  come  before  the  con- 
vention. 

In  this  call  it  was  pointed  out  that  all  educational  meetings  have  been 
held  in  the  central  and  north  part  of  the  state,  and  that  the  expense  and 
inconvenience  in  attending  these  meetings  by  teachers  living  in  Southern 
Illinois  had  prevented  our  teachers  from  profiting  from  these  meetings. 
Our  needs  are  peculiar  to  this  section  of  the  state.  "We  have  several 
thousand  teachers  who  need  Normal  instruction,  and  our  excellent  Nor- 
mal University  (at  Normal)  can  educate  scarcely  a  tithe  of  them.  We 
need  a  school  in  Southern  Illinois." 

This  call  was  signed  by  Joel  G.  Morgan,  Cairo ;  J.  W.  Blair,  Pinck- 
neyville ;  W.  J.  Yost,  Cairo ;  H.  C.  Robinson,  De  Soto ;  and  B.  G.  Roots, 
Tamaroa. 


398  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

Clark  Braden,  George  C.  Yost,  Stephen  Blair,  J.  W.  Spiller,  Daniel 
Gilbert — Committee  representing  the  Southern  Illinois  College. 

D.  L.  Davis,  S.  G.  Hindman,  Frank  J.  Chapman — Directors  of  the 
Public  Schools  of  Carbondale. 

,0n  June  15,  1868,  a  supplemental  call  was  sent  out  by  the  Southern 
Illinois  College  as  follows :  "  In  accordance  with  an  announcement  made 
last  April  20th,  arrangements  have  been  made  for  a  Southern  Illinois 
Educational  Convention  at  Carbondale,  commencing  at  2  o'clock  P.  M. 
Wednesday,  June  24,  and  continuing  two  days,  closing  at  noon,  Friday 
26th."  The  call  was  extended  to  all  teachers,  county  superintendents, 
principals,  etc.,  south  of  the  Alton  &  Terre  Haute  Railroad.  Speakers 
were  announced — Prof.  J.  V.  Standish,  of  Lombard  University,  and 
editor  at  that  time  of  the  Illinois  Teacher;  Maj.  J.  B.  Merwin,  of  St. 
Louis,  at  that  time  western  manager  of  an  eastern  publishing  company ; 
a  Mrs.  Smith,  of  Oswego,  New  York. 

No  one  was  assigned  to  a  particular  topic,  but  the  topics  were  printed 
and  the  discussion  was  free  for  all.  Two  important  topics  were : 
1.  Normal  Sclwol.  What  steps  shall  be  taken  to  secure  the  establish- 
ment of  a  Normal  School  in  Southern  Illinois.  2.  Organization  of  a 
Southern  Illinois  Educational  Association.  Necessity  for  it.  When  and 
how  shall  it  be  done  ?  Shall  it  be  done  now  ? 

The  meeting  was  held  at  Carbondale  on  the  "Campus"  of  the  South- 
ern Illinois  College  which  was  then  located  just  where  the  Lincoln  School 
is.  There  were  present  sixteen  county  superintendents,  over  two  hundred 
teachers,  from  forty-one  counties,  and  over  two  thousand  other  persons. 
At  this  meeting  steps  were  taken  to  organize  the  Southern  Illinois  Teach- 
ers'  Association,  and  the  need  of  a  Southern  Illinois  Normal  discussed. 

The  Hon.  Newton  Bateman  in  his  biennial  report  of  1869  and  70,  in 
speaking  of  this  Carbondale  meeting  of  June  24, 1868,  and  of  the  teachers' 
convention  at  Centralia  held  that  year,  says:  "The  general  movement 
among  the  friends  of  education  in  Southern  Illinois — the  great  conven- 
tions held  in  Carbondale  and  Centralia,  in  1868 — the  numerous  addresses, 
circulars,  petitions,  and  resolutions,  whereby  the  intelligent  masses  of  the 
people  in  that  portion  of  the  state  were  aroused  to  an  unwonted  degree, 
the  chief  object  toward  which  all  those  efforts  were  being  directed  being 
the  foundation  of  another  Normal  School,  to  be  located  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  state — all  these  were  referred  to  in  my  last  report." 

The  catalogue  of  the  Southern  Illinois  College  for  the  school  year 
closing:  with  June,  1868,  has  the  following  reference  to  normal  training : 

"There  is  great  need  of  qualified  teachers  for  our  common  schools  in 
this  vicinity.  Our  teachers  are  poorly  qualified,  because  they  have  not 
had  opportunities  to  fit  themselves  for  their  calling.  We  intend  to  make 
special  instruction  of  common  school  teachers  a  leading  feature  of  our 
school.  During  the  term  just  closed  we  have  had  over  sixty  pupils  in  our 
Teachers'  Classes,  and  the  progress  made  has  more  than  ever  convinced 
us  of  the  advantages  and  necessity  of  such  classes.  We  expect  to  make 
such  instruction  a  specialty  in  the  College.  Next  fall  we  shall  organize 
classes  in  the  branches  taught  in  our  common  schools,  for  the  purpose  of 
reviewing  these  studies.  .  .  .  Lectures  on  the  organization,  disci- 
pline, and  management  of  schools  will  be  given  also." 

In  the  Centralia  Sentinel  of  February.  1868,  we  find  this  reference  to 
a  normal  school  in  Southern  Illinois.  "We  present  to  our  readers  this 
week  the  able  address  of  the  committee  appointed  by  the  Southern  Illi- 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  399 

nois  Educational  Association,  at  their  meeting  in  Centralia  September 
1,  2,  and  3.  It  sets  forth  in  forcible  language  the  great  importance  of 
the  enterprise.  The  success  and  general  results  flowing  to  the  state  from 
the  Northern  Normal  University,  located  at  Bloomington,  has  aroused 
the  attention  of  educators  to  the  necessity  of  an  additional  institution 
of  the  same  general  character  in  Southern  Illinois. ' '  The  article  further 
speaks  of  the  crowded  condition  of  the  normal  school  near  Blooming- 
ton;  puts  forth  the  claims  of  Centralia  as  an  ideal  place  for  such  a 
school  as  the  convention  recommended.  This  article  was  copied  into 
the  New  Era,  a  weekly  paper  published  in  Carbondale,  and  commented 
on  as  follows :  ' '  We  endorse  nearly  every  word  contained  in  the  above 
extract.  "We  agree  with  that  paper  in  everything  except  the  location 
of  the  school.  Carbondale  is  the  proper  location.  Our  town  is  located 
in  the  richest  and  healthiest  part  of  the  state.  Our  railroad  facilities 
are  greater  than  those  of  any  other  town  in  Egypt.  We  can  in  the  way 
of  inducements,  outstrip  any  other  place.  Building  material  is  close 
at  hand  in  inexhaustible  quantities.  Fuel  and  produce  of  every  kind 
are  cheap.  Land  for  _such  purposes  can  be  had  for  the  asking.  In 
natural  beauty  our  location  is  five  hundred  years  ahead  of  all  others. 

"Another  great  advantage,  and  one  we  will  hereafter  dwell  upon 
from  time  to  time,  is,  we  already  have  such  an  institution  successfully 
at  work.  We  speak  of  the  Southern  Illinois  College.  The  enterprise 
has  met  with  so  much  success  that  it  has  now  become  a  fixed  fact,  and 
is  one  of  the  departments  of  the  college. 

"Thus  here  in  Carbondale,  the  foundation  for  such  an  institution  as 
a  Normal  University  is  already  laid.  It  behooves  our  people  to  watch 
their  interests,  and  secure  the  necessary  legislation.  The  liberality  of 
our  citizens,  the  reputation  of  our  town  for  morality,  and  temperance, 
our  healthy  location  should  all  be  brought  to  bear.  Let  us  go  to  work 
at  once,  that  rival  towns  shall  have  no  start  of  us." 

In  the  campaign  of  1868,  John  M.  Palmer  was  elected  governor. 
When  the  Legislature  was  organized  it  was  found  that  the  governor 
was  at  variance  with  the  general  assembly,  and  some  feared  it  would  be 
difficult  to  get  certain  legislation  through.  However,  it  proved  to  be 
an  easier  task  than  at  first  thought.  Among  the  bills  introduced  was 
one  chartering  the  Southern  Illinois  (State)  Normal  University.  This 
was  passed  and  signed  by  the  governor  March  9,  1869.  The  governor 
appointed  the  following  board  of  trustees,  who  should  locate  the  school 
and  construct  the  building :  Captain  Daniel  Hurd,  Cairo ;  General  Eli 
Boyer,  Olney ;  Colonel  Thomas  M.  Harris,  Shelbyville ;  Rev.  Elihu  J. 
Palmer,  Belleville ;  and  Hon.  Samuel  J.  Flanagan,  Benton. 

On  April  29,  1869,  this  board  organized  by  electing  Rev.  Elihu  J. 
Palmer,  president,  and  Hon.  Samuel  J.  Flanagan,  secretary,  and  im- 
mediately proceeded  to  advertise  for  the  location  of  the  new  institution, 
as  provided  in  the  10th  section  of  the  act  establishing  the  school,  which 
reads  as  follows : 

"The  trustees  shall  as  soon  as  practicable,  advertise  for  proposals 
from  localities  desiring  to  secure  the  location  of  said  normal  university, 
and  shall  receive  for  not  less  than  three  months  from  the  date  of  their 
first  advertisement,  proposals  from  points  situated  as  hereinafter  men- 
tioned, to  donate  lands,  buildings,  bonds,  moneys,  or  other  valuable 
consideration,  to  the  State  in  aid  of  the  foundation  and  support  of  said 
university;  and  shall  at  a  time  previously  fixed  by  advertisement,  open 


400  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

and  examine  such  proposals,  and  locate  the  institution  at  such  a  point 
as  shall,  all  things  considered,  offer  the  most  advantageous  condition. 
The  land  shall  be  selected  south  of  the  railroad,  or  within  six  miles 
north  of  said  road,  passing  from  St.  Louis  to  Terre  Haute,  known  as 
the  Alton  and  Terre  Haute  Railroad  with  a  view  of  obtaining  a  good 
supply  of  water  and  other  conveniences  for  the  use  of  the  institution." 
In  due  time  sealed  proposals  were  received  from  towns  and  cities 
situated  in  the  district  denned  by  the  terms  of  the  act  as  follows :  Anna, 
Union  county;  Carlyle,  Clinton  county;  Carbondale,  Jackson  county; 
Centralia,  Marion  county;  DuQuoin,  Perry  county;  Irvington,  Wash- 
ington county ;  Jonesboro,  Union  county ;  Olney,  Richland  county ;  South 
Pass,  Union  county ;  Tamaroa,  Perry  county ;  Vandalia,  Fayette 
county. 

CARBONDALE,  SITE  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  NORMAL  UNIVERSITY 

The  trustees  finally  chose  Carbondale  as  presenting  the  best  ad- 
vantages, everything  considered,  and  the  school  was  located  three- 
fourths  of  a  mile  south  of  the  Illinois  Central  Depot,  on  a  twenty-acre 
tract  of  farm  land.  The  contract  was  let  to  Mr.  J.  M.  Campbell,  a  local 
contractor.  The  work  went  rapidly  forward.  The  contractor  began  the 
manufacture  of  brick  upon  one  corner  of  the  twenty  acre  tract.  The 
Boskydell  stone  quarry,  some  four  miles  to  the  south  of  the  building 
site,  became  a  busy  place.  Scores  of  men  were  quarrying  out  the  great 
blocks  of  red  sandstone,  other  scores  were  loading  these  on  cars,  and  still 
other  scores  were  busy  cutting  stone  and  getting  ready  for  the  first 
great  function  in  connection  with  the  school — the  laying  of  the  corner 
stone.  Great  preparations  were  made  for  this  event.  The  first  story 
was  rising  rapidly.  The  proportions  of  the  building,  the  substantial 
and  artistic  character  of  the  work,  the  fact  it  was  a  state  project,  all 
added  interest  to  the  coming  event.  The  day  set  for  the  laying  of  the 
corner  stone  was  May  17,  1870.  The  Masonic  Order  of  Illinois,  was 
invited  to  participate  in  the  exercises.  The  order  accepted  the  invita- 
tion and  the  lodges  of  Illinois  sent  large  delegations  to  the  corner- 
stone laying. 

The  day.  May  17,  was  an  ideal  day.  The  trains  came  loaded  with 
enthusiastic  Illinoisians.  Bands  of  music,  uniformed  ranks,  distinguished 
citizens,  and  the  rank  and  file  of  Southern  Illinois  poured  into  the  little 
city.  Everything  was  in  readiness.  The  first  story  which  was  of  cut 
stone  was  well  on  its  way.  The  walls  were  very  beautiful,  the  rich  red 
color  of  the  stone,  and  the  beautiful  window  and  door  trimmings  were 
a  wonder  to  the  country  people.  The  Grand  Master  of  A.  F.  and  A.  M. 
was  the  Hon.  H.  G.  Reynolds.  He  was  assisted  by  the  state  officers  of 
the  order,  and  the  laying  of  the  corner  stone  was  a  most  beautiful  and 
appropriate  beginning  of  the  life  of  a  great  institution.  A  score  or 
more  of  expert  stonecutters  headed  by  Mr.  John  Amon,  assisted  in  the 
actual  work  of  laying  the  stone.  The  number  of  people  who  were 
present  in  the  city  on  that  day  has  been  estimated  as  high  as  twenty 
thousand.  The  number  of  Masons  in  line  has  been  placed  at  three 
thousand — probably  this  is  overestimated.  The  formal  exercises  oc- 
curred in  the  forenoon,  and  then  the  question  arose  in  the  minds  of 
many,  how  can  the  multitude  be  fed  ?  But  the  good  people  had  had 
this  problem  on  their  hearts  for  weeks  and  they  were  abundantly  able 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


401 


to  feed  the  multitude.  Every  private  home  was  full  of  guests,  the  hotels 
were  filled,  the  restaurants  overtaxed.  But  the  most  interesting 
part  of  the  feeding  of  the  people  was  a  great  "barbecue  dinner."  This 
was  a  free  feast  to  all  who  were  present.  The  name  of  the  dinner  comes 
from  the  manner  of  cooking  the  meat.  The  entire  country  round  about 
the  city  of  Carbondale  was  canvassed  for  eatables  for  this  great  feast. 
The  farmers  and  others  contributed  liberally  of  their  flocks  and  herds. 
Oxen,  sheep,  and  fowls  were  freely  given.  Trenches  were  dug  in  the 
ground  some  three  feet  wide,  two  feet  deep  and  ten  or  twelve  feet  long. 
Large  quantities  of  hickory  and  oak  wood  was  burned  in  these  trenches 
until  a  bed  of  coals  was  obtained.  Upon  rods  of  iron  or  other  supports 
the  dressed  beef  and  mutton  was  suspended  over  these  beds  of  coals. 
All  night,  and  the  early  morning  of  the  17th  experts  were  preparing 
the  "barbecued"  meats.  Faithful  women  were  arranging  the  bounti- 


THE  FIRST  BUILDING  OF  THE  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  STATE  NORMAL 
UNIVERSITY,  BURNED  NOVEMBER  26,  1883 

ful  supplies  of  other  forms  of  provisions  and  when  all  was  in  readiness 
thousands  surrounded  the  long  tables  and  partook  of  Egypt's  hospital- 
ity. It  was  an  occasion  long  to  be  remembered  by  every  one  present. 
The  barbecue  dinner  was  spread  in  a  grove  of  native  oaks  in  the  im- 
mediate locality  of  the  present  residences  of  Dr.  D.  B.  Parkinson,  Judg« 
A.  S.  Caldwell,  and  Judge  L.  M.  Bradley  in  the  southwest  part  of  the 
city  of  Carbondale. 

The  charter  provided  that  the  building  should  be  only  two  stories 
high.  The  structure  was  located  on  the  side  of  a  gentle  slope  and  con- 
tained a  basement  of  cut  Boskydell  stone  with  a  ceiling  sixteen  feet 
high.  Above  this  basement  a  first  story  of  some  twenty  feet  and  a 
second  story  with  a  ceiling  of  some  twenty-four  feet  and  resting  upon 
the  whole  a  mansard  roof  containing  a  number  of  spacious  rooms. 
When  the  building  was  done  the  earth  was  removed  from  around 
the  basement  and  the  structure  stood  forth,  a  four  story  building  of 
magnificent  proportions.  In  the  spring  of  1870,  Mr.  Campbell  was 

Vol.  1—26 


402  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

accidentally  killed  while  overseeing  the  workmen  upon  the  building,  by 
the  falling  of  a  heavy  beam  of  timber. 

The  death  of  Mr.  Campbell  delayed  the  progress  of  the  building, 
and  the  legislature  relieved  the  board  of  trustees  of  their  responsibility 
and  appointed  a  building  commission  of  six  men  who  should  complete 
the  building.  The  commission  consisted  of  John  Wood,  Cairo;  Elihu 
J.  Palmer,  Carbondale ;  Hiram  Walker,  Jonesboro ;  R.  H.  Sturgiss,  Van- 
dalia ;  Nathan  Bishop,  Marion ;  and  F.  M.  Malone,  Anna. 

This  commission  proceeded  with  the  work  with  all  dispatch  and  on 
the  completion  of  the  building  a  new  board  of  trustees  received  from 
the  commission  the  building  and  proceeded  to  the  election  of  a  faculty 
of  instruction.  The  following  is  the  list  of  teachers  and  their  subjects 
respectively : 

Robert  Allyn,  Principal — Mental  Science,  Ethics,  Pedagogics. 

Cyrus  Thomas — Natural  History,  Physiology. 

Charles  W.   Jerome,   Registrar — Languages,   Literature. 

Enoch  A.  Gastman — Mathematics. 

Daniel  B.  Parkinson — Natural  Philosophy,  Chemistry. 

James  H.  Brownlee — Reading,  Elocution,  Phonics. 

Granville  F.  Foster — History,  Geography. 

Alden  C.  Hillman — Principal,  High  School. 

Martha  Buck — Grammar,  Etymology. 

Julia  F.  Mason — Principal  Model  School,  Drawing,  Calisthenics. 

A.  D.  Duff — Dean  Law  Department. 

The  dedicatory  exercises  occurred  on  July  1,  1874.  It  was  a  great 
day  for  Southern  Illinois.  Thousands  of  people  were  in  attendance. 
The  speakers  were  Dr.  Richard  Edwards,  president  of  the  Illinois  State 
Normal  University  at  Normal ;  Dr.  Charles  H.  Fowler,  president  of 
Northwestern  University ;  Hon.  J.  J.  Bird,  of  Cairo ;  Hon.  Thomas  S. 
Ridgway,  president  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  Shawneetown,  and  others. 
The  dream  of  the  educational  leaders  of  Southern  Illinois  had  come 
true.  The  plans  and  aims  of  the  enthusiastic  men  and  women  who  met 
on  the  campus  of  the  old  Southern  Illinois  College  June  24,  25,  26,  1868, 
had  been  realized,  at  least  so  far  as  the  material  side  was  concerned. 
It  now  remained  to  be  seen  if  the  life  of  educational  progress  could  be 
breathed  into  the  walls  of  the  completed  building. 

UNIVERSITY  OPENED 

On  the  day  following  the  dedication,  July  2d,  the  first  session  of  the 
Southern  Illinois  .(State)  Normal  University  was  opened.  It  was  a 
special  session  intended  to  provide  an  opportunity  for  teachers  to  re- 
view the  subjects  to  be  taught  in  the  schools  the  ensuing  winter.  The 
session  lasted  six  weeks  and  enrolled  fifty-three  students. 

In  the  fall  of  1877  the  school  opened  with  a  new  department,  that  of 
Military  Science  and  Tactics.  The  general  government  in  following  a 
custom  which  it  had  pursued  for  a  goodly  number  of  years  of  assigning 
military  officers  to  state  and  private  schools  for  the  purpose  of  giving  in- 
struction to  the  students  in  military  matters,  detailed  Captain  Thomas 
J.  Spencer  of  the  regular  army  as  military  instructor  in  this  institution. 
The  United  States  furnished  guns,  cannon,  caissons,  and  other  equip- 
ment including  ammunition.  From  the  fall  of  1877  to  the  summer  of 
1890  this  department  was  a  part  of  the  work  of  the  school.  In  the  latter 


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404  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

year  the  government  upon  the  recommendation  of  the  officer  in  charge, 
Lieutenant  J.  Franklin  Bell,  now  Major  General  Bell  of  the  regular 
army,  discontinued  the  detail  of  an  army  officer  and  ordered  the  govern- 
ment property  removed  to  United  States  arsenals.  Professor  George  V. 
Buchanan,  instructor  in  mathematics  in  the  Normal  University,  con- 
tinued the  drill  exercises  for  a  year  or  two  when  the  department  of 
physical  training  was  established  in  the  school  which  took  over  what 
was  left  of  military  spirit. 

The  school  has  continued  to  grow  in  numbers,  in  teaching  force,  in 
efficient  instruction,  and  in  professional  spirit.  The  attendance,  how- 
ever, has  never  been  what  it  should  have  been.  This  is  attributable  to 
the  attitude  of  the  school  authorities  in  the  several  counties  toward  nor- 
mal instruction.  Too  many  schools  in  Egypt  have  been  taught  by  young 
people  who  have  barely  "finished"  the  eighth  grade.  There  have  been 
times  when  not  a  Normal  graduate  could  be  found  teaching  in  certain 
counties  in  Southern  Illinois.  The  conditions  have  rapidly  changed 
within  the  past  ten  years.  The  school  has  become  the  educational  center 
of  Southern  Illinois.  The  best  of  relations  exist  between  the  county 
school  authorities  and  the  normal  school.  Many  county  superintendents 
are  normal  graduates  and  often  the  members  of  boards  of  directors  and 
boards  of  education  are  former  students  at  the  Normal.  Twenty  years 
ago,  the  Southern  Illinois  Teachers'  Association  enrolled  less  than  five 
hundred  teachers  in  the  annual  gathering.  In  1911  at  the  annual  meet- 
ing at  the  Normal  University  the  enrollment  was  more  than  fifteen  hun- 
dred. 

There  was  a  tendency  in  all  normal  schools,  probably,  in  earlier  years 
to  put  more  or  less  stress  upon  academic  work.  This  was  no  doubt  done 
in  this  school.  The  Model  school,  at  first  not  well  organized  and  not  well 
articulated  with  the  various  departments,  was  discontinued  at  Christ- 
mas 1876.  In  1882  Professor  John  Hull  who  had  been  in  the  faculty 
from  the  second  year  of  the  school,  was  put  in  charge  of  the  Model  school 
and  since  that  time  there  has  been  steady  progress  in  this  department 
of  normal  work.  In  fact  the  Model  school  or  Training  department  has 
come  to  be  recognized  as  the  most  rational  and  practical  phase  of  prep- 
aration for  teaching. 

BUILDING  BURNED,  1883 

On  the  afternoon  of  November  26,  1883,  at  3:20  o'clock,  the  magnifi- 
cent building  was  found  to  be  on  fire.  The  fire  had  caught  in  the  man- 
sard roof  and  the  progress  of  the  fire  must  of  necessity  be  slow,  burning 
from  the  top  of  the  building  downwards.  Classes  were  in  session.  The 
news  spread  rapidly.  Everything  was  done  to  save  the  building,  but 
there  was  little  hope  from  the  beginning.  When  it  was  decided  the  build- 
ing was  doomed,  the  faculty  and  students  turned  their  attention  to 
the  saving  of  movable  objects.  The  museum  was  lost,  but  the  library, 
pictures,  desks,  pianos,  chairs,  tables,  maps,  globes,  and  other  movable 
things  were  carried  out  and  taken  a  safe  distance  from  the  heat  of  the 
•building.  The  fire  caught  in  the  southeast  corner  of  the  fourth  story 
and  a  brisk  wind  from  the  northwest  blew  the  flames  from  the  building 
and  the  actual  burning  was  prolonged  till  toward  midnight. 

As  the  sun  sank  to  rest  on  that  chill  November  evening,  the  ruins 
seemed  to  mock  the  hundreds  of  teachers,  students,  and  friends,  who 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


405 


lingered  at  a  safe  distance  from  the  crumbling  walls  among  books  and 
the  other  equipment  of  a  great  school. 

But  there  was  no  time  for  sentiment.  A  meeting  had  already  been 
called  in  the  opera  house  and  before  the  building  was  burned  down  hun- 
dreds of  men  had  gathered  there  to  devise  ways  and  means  for  continuing 
the  school.  Business  men  offered  vacant  rooms,  churches  were  tendered, 
and  halls  were  proposed  as  a  temporary  shelter  for  the  school.  On  the 
next  day  the  faculty  convened  in  the  Baptist  church  and  assigned  rooms 
for  the  various  teachers  and  on  the  second  day  after  the  fire,  the  school 
opened  for  business.  The  fire  occurred  on  Monday  and  on  Wednesday 
the  teachers  and  students  were  at  their  tasks.  The  recitation  rooms  were 
on  the  west  side  of  the  square,  mainly  in  the  vicinity  of  the  present  Car- 


THE  SCIENCE  BUILDING  OF  THE  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  STATE  NORMAL 

UNIVERSITY 

bondale  National  Bank.  General  exercises,  roll  call  and  other  public 
meetings  were  held  in  the  Baptist  church,  the  building  now  occupied  by 
the  editorial  rooms  and  press  rooms  of  the  Southern  Illinois  Herald. 

The  walls  of  the  ruined  building  had  not  been  cooled  before  Mr.  Isaac 
Rapp,  an  architect  of  the  city,  had  plans  drawn  for  the  erection  of  a 
temporary  wooden  building  which  should  house  the  school  till  the  legis- 
lature could  take  steps  to  replace  the  great  building.  This  temporary 
building  was  to  be  constructed  from  a  fund  to  be  raised  from  a  sub- 
scription. More  than  two  thousand  was  raised  without  delay  and  the 
building  begun.  The  subscription  list  grew  as  the  building  progressed. 
As  many  as  forty  men  were  at  work  on  the  building  at  one  time.  The 
building  was  soon  up  and  enclosed.  It  cost  about  $6,000.  It  was  in  the 
form  of  a  Greek  cross,  the  assembly  room  occupying  the  center  of  the 
structure.  This  building  housed  the  school  till  the  present  building  was 
completed. 

The  legislature  of  1885  was  the  first  one  to  assemble  after  the  fire.  It 
was  to  this  body  of  law  makers  that  the  friends  of  normal  training  must 
appeal  for  the  reconstruction  of  the  Southern  Illinois  Normal  University. 


406 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


There  was  little  real  opposition  to  the  continuance  of  the  school.  There 
were  those  who  were  willing  to  profit  by  the  misfortune  of  Carbondale, 
but  few  who  openly  opposed  the  rebuilding  of  the  school  in  Southern 
Illinois. 

An  effort  had  been  made  to  get  the  governor  to  call  an  extra  session  of 
the  legislature,  but  he  could  not  be  induced  to  do  so.  The  friends  of  the 
school  were  quite  well  organized  and  they  made  a  systematic  onslaught 
upon  the  lobby  of  the  general  assembly  and  as  a  result  secured  an  appro- 
priation of  $153,000  for  the  rebuilding  of  the  Normal  at  Carbondale. 
The  man  who  should  be  given  most  credit  for  securing  the  rebuilding  of 
the  Normal  is  Captain  E.  J.  Ingersoll,  at  present  an  honored  citizen  of 
Carbondale.  He  worked  in  season  and  out  of  season  to  secure  the  appro- 


THE  LIBRARY,  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  STATE  NORMAL  UNIVERSITY 

priation.     He  has  always  taken  great  pride  in  the  school  and  was  for 
many  years  the  local  trustee,  and  secretary  of  the  board. 

THE  NEW  MAIN  BUILDING 

Plans  and  specifications  were  drawn  by  Mr.  A.  L.  Taylor  of  St.  Louis. 
(Mr.  Taylor  was  the  architect  of  the  buildings  at  the  World's  Fair  in 
Chicago  in  1892.)  The  contract  was  let  to  Perry  and  Neal  of  Peoria. 
The  building  was  finished  and  dedicated  to  its  great  purpose  February  27, 
1887,  and  on  the  following  Monday  school  opened  in  the  new  building. 

This  new  building  or  as  it  is  now  called  the  "Main  Building"  stands 
on  the  cut-stone  foundation  of  the  old  building.  It  is  a  beautiful  struc- 
ture and  impresses  all  with  its  substantial  character.  It  is  three  stories 
high  and  contains  some  thirty  rooms.  The  building  is  heated  by  a  steam 
plant  situated  some  distance  away,  and  is  lighted  with  both  gas  and  elec- 
tricity. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


407 


GENERAL  REVIEW 

Dr.  Allyn,  who  had  been  president  of  the  school  from  its  opening, 
resigned  in  1892  and  was  succeeded  by  Professor  John  Hull  who  had 
been  connected  with  the  school  since  1875.  Professor  Hull  served  one 
year  as  president  and  in  that  time  prepared  the  exhibit  of  the  school  for 
the  World's  Fair  at  Chicago.  He  was  succeeded  by  Dr.  Harvey  W.  Ev- 
erest, who  presided  over  the  school  four  years.  In  his  administration 
the  friends  of  the  school  secured  an  appropriation  for  the  erection  of  the 
science  building.  This  was  in  the  administration  of  Gov.  Altgeld,  who 
took  great  interest  in  education  and  who  has  left  his  impress  upon  the 
architecture  of  several  state  buildings.  Dr.  Everest  was  succeeded  by 


THE  ALLYN  BUILDING  (TRAINING  SCHOOL),  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  STATE 

NORMAL  UNIVERSITY 

Dr.  D.  B.  Parkinson  in  1897.  He  still  remains  the  president  of  the 
school. 

During  the  fifteen  years  that  Dr.  Parkinson  has  been  president  of 
the  school  there  have  been  many  improvements.  A  library  building  very 
complete  in  all  its  appointments,  containing  a  beautiful  hall  used  ex- 
clusively by  the  Young  Women's  and  Young  Men's  Christian  Associa- 
tions and  two  elegant  literary  society  halls  for  the  use  of  the  Zetetic  and 
the  Socratic  literary  societies.  A  Model  school  building  of  elegant  pro- 
portions, of  perfect  adaptation,  and  complete  in  all  its  equipment  has 
recently  been  erected  on  the  campus;  and  now  a  fifth  building,  a  women's 
dormitory,  is  to  be  begun  in  the  near  future.  This  dormitory  will  house 
about  one  hundred  young  ladies. 

The  internal  improvements  to  be  mentioned  are  the  installing  of 
manual  training,  domestic  science,  and  agriculture.  The  manual  train- 
ing department  is  located  in  the  second  story  of  the  science  building. 
The  department  is  equipped  with  benches,  lathes,  band  saws,  and  full 
and  complete  sets  of  tools.  The  domestic  science  department  occupies 
the  three  rooms  1,  2  and  3,  at  the  south  end  of  the  first  floor  of  the  main 


408  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

building.  This  department  has  all  the  up-to-date  equipment  required  in 
first-class  domestic  science  schools.  The  newly  installed  department  of 
agriculture  has  properly  fitted  quarters  on  the  first  floor  of  the  science 
building.  The  state  has  very  recently  purchased  about  fifty  acres  of  land 
adjacent  to  the  south  side  of  the  campus  which  is  to  be  used  in  experi- 
mentation in  scientific  agriculture. 

Since  the  founding  of  the  school  in  1874  there  have  been  enrolled 
about  twelve  thousand  students.  These  may  be  found  in  every  locality  in 
Southern  Illinois,  and  in  every  walk  in  life.  Not  only  so,  but  the  influ- 
ences of  the  school  have  been  felt  around  the  world.  In  the  summer  of 
1901  the  school  sent  five  of  its  graduates  to  the  Philippine  Islands  as  pub- 
lic school  teachers.  They  did  acceptable  service  as  teachers  and  superin- 
tendents for  several  years.  All  remained  in  the  Philippine  service  a 
longer  time  than  their  original  contracts  called  for,  and  one,  Mr.  John 
Jenkins,  is  still  in  the  educational  work  in  that  far  away  possession. 

There  are  now  five  state  normal  schools  in  the  state,  located  at  Nor- 
mal, Carbondale,  Charleston,  De  Kalb  and  Macomb.  These  with  the  state 
university  and  a  rapidly  developing  system  of  township  and  city  high 
schools  present  opportunities  for  higher  education  unsurpassed  by  any 
state  in  the  union.  Our  legislatures  are  liberal  in  appropriations,  and  our 
boards  of  trustees  are  careful  in  the  expenditures  of  the  people 's  money. 
Illinois  presents  the  finest  body  of  teachers  of  any  state  in  the  union  at 
the  National  Association  of  Teachers,  and  her  numbers  surpass  those  of 
every  other  state,  unless  it  may  be  the  one  in  which  the  association  is 
held.  Who  is  there  that  is  not  proud  to  be  numbered  among  such  noble 
workers  in  such  a  noble  calling  ?  Truly  the  business  of  teaching  has  taken 
on  all  the  characteristics  of  a  great  profession. 


CHAPTER  XXXV 
BANKS  AND  BANKING  IN  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

FIRST  LAND  OFFICES  AND  BANKS  IN  EGYPT — BANK  OF  ILLINOIS  CREATED 
— BANK  OF  CAIRO — THE  STATE  BANKS — INTERNAL  IMPROVEMENT 
SCHEMES — FINANCIAL  COMPLICATIONS  AND  EMBARRASSMENTS — THE 
FREE  BANKING  LAW — ONE  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTEEN  BANKS  OF  ISSUE — 
EFFECTS  OF  NATIONAL  BANKING  SYSTEM — ILLINOIS  BANKERS'  ASSO- 
CIATION— GROUP  No.  10  (SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS) — BUILDING  AND  LOAN 
ASSOCIATIONS. 

Southern  Illinois  cannot  lay  claim  to  great  wealth.  It  has  always 
been  a  prosperous  region ;  her  resources  are  fairly  varied,  and  there  has 
existed  from  the  beginning  a  certain  amount  of  activity  among  her  peo- 
ple ;  but  farming  has  always  been  on  a  small  scale,  that  is  carried  on  by 
farmers  of  small  resources;  manufacturing  has  been  limited  to  the 
cruder  forms  of  articles,  and  mining  is  of  recent  years.  One  would  not 
expect  therefore  to  find  great  financial  centers  within  our  limits. 

FIRST  LAND  OFFICES  AND  BANKS  IN  EGYPT 

Since  the  state  was  first  settled  in  the  southern  part  and  the  develop- 
ment of  the  state  moved  northward,  we  should  expect  the  beginnings  of 
the  state 's  financial  history  to  be  found  in  Egypt.  And  so  it  was.  The 
first  land  office  to  be  opened  was  at  Kaskaskia,  probably  in  the  summer 
of  1804 — the  law  establishing  it  passed  March  26,  1804.  The  second  of- 
fice opened  was  at  Shawneetown  in  1814,  and  later  one  in  Edwardsville. 
These  land  offices  handled  large  sums  of  money  and  no  doubt  there  were 
deposit  banks  at  a  very  early  day.  There  is  very  definite  information 
about  one  such  deposit  bank  in  Shawneetown  as  early  as  1813.  This 
was  conducted  by  John  Marshall,  an  early  settler  in  this  town,  having 
come  in  1804.  He  conducted  a  store  and  was  a  man  of  considerable 
means.  The  salt  works  which  were  only  ten  miles  away  brought  a  large 
amount  of  business  to  Shawneetown.  The  land-office  was  also  instru- 
mental in  bringing  large  sums  of  money  to  this  town. 

"BANK  OF  ILLINOIS"  CREATED 

In  the  legislature  of  1816  a  bill  was  passed  creating  the  "Bank  of  Illi- 
nois." This  was  to  be  located  at  Shawneetown.  The  next  year  two 
more  were  chartered;  one  at  Edwardsville  and  one  at  Kaskaskia.  The 
bank  at  Shawneetown  was  evidently  the  successor  of  the  John  Marshall 
bank  of  1813.  The  bank  of  1816  was  a  bank  of  issue  and  deposit.  A 

409 


410 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


letter  written  in  1819  by  John  Marshall,  president  of  the  Shawneetown 
bank  to  Ninian  Edwards  who  was  a  stockholder  in  the  Edwardsville 
bank,  complains  that  the  receiver  of  public  money  at  Kaskaskia  would 
one  day  receive  the  Shawneetown  bank  notes  and  the  next  day  reject 
them.  He  also  speaks  of  the  Bank  of  Missouri  sending  to  Shawneetown 
$12,000  of  the  Shawneetown  bank  notes  for  redemption,  and  carrying 
away  $12,000  in  gold  and  silver.  All  three  of  the  banks  chartered  in 
1816  and  1817  were  made  banks  of  deposit  for  government  funds.  All 
three  of  these  banks  were  private  banks  and  the  notes  of  issue  had 
nothing  behind  them  except  the  property  of  the  stockholders. 

"BANK  OP  CAIRO" 

In  1818,  January  9,  the  territorial  legislature  passed  a  bill  charter- 
ing the  City  and  Bank  of  Cairo,  the  tenth  section  of  which  required  the 


THE  CAIRO  BANK  AT  KASKASKIA.     THE  WOODEN  BUILDING  is  THE  BANK 
AND  THE  BRICK  BUILDING  THE  LAND  OFFICE 

banking  business  to  be  transacted  at  Kaskaskia.  The  bank  had  a  fairly 
prosperous  career  till  1843  when  the  charter  was  annulled,  or  at  least 
that  part  conferring  banking  privileges.  Bills  show  issues  as  late  as 
1841  and  probably  many  bear  later  dates.  They  bear  the  signatures  of 
David  Jewett  Baker  as  president. 

THE  STATE  BANKS 

By  1821  the  prosperous  years  following  the  close  of  the  war  of  1812 
had  vanished.    Banks  had  failed,  speculation  had  ceased,  prices  were  low 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  411 

arid  the  outlook  was  very  discouraging.  It  was  thought  a  new  banking 
system  would  be  the  cure-all.  After  much  bitter  opposition  a  bill  passed 
creating  the  State  Bank.  The  capital  was  $500,000,  and  $300,000  in 
bills  were  put  in  circulation.  There  was  not  a  dollar  of  capital  in  this 
bank  but  the  whole  structure  was  built  on  the  credit  of  the  state.  For  a 
short  time  everything  went  well  but  the  bills  soon  fell  in  value  and  much 
distress  resulted.  The  officers,  directors,  etc.  were  elected  by  the  legis- 
lature and  it  may  be  predicted  that  there  was  too  much  politics  mixed 
with  the  banking  business.  At  any  rate  in  1831  when  the  charter  ex- 
pired and  the  state  closed  up  the  business  of  the  defunct  bank  it  was  un- 
der the  necessity  of  borrowing  $100,000  to  redeem  the  outstanding  notes. 
This  business  transaction  is  called  the  "Wiggins  Loan." 

From  1831,  when  the  State  Bank  went  out  of  business,  to  1834,  there 
was  no  bank  in  Illinois  doing  an  active  banking  business.  Governor 
Duncan  in  his  message  to  the  legislature  said :  ' '  Banks  may  be  made  ex- 
ceedingly useful  in  society,  not  only  by  affording  an  opportunity  to  the 
widow,  the  orphan  and  the  aged,  who  possess  capital  without  the  capac- 
ity of  employing  it  in  ordinary  business  to  invest  it  in  such  stocks;  but 
by  its  use  the  young  and  enterprising  merchant,  mechanic,  and  trades- 
man may  be  enabled  more  successfully  to  carry  on  his  business  and  im- 
prove the  country. ' '  This  was  enough  to  touch  off  the  legislature  and  a 
law  was  passed  chartering  a  new  State  Bank  with  a  capital  of  $1,500,000. 
This  new  State  Bank  was  to  have  six  branches.  In  addition  the  old  State 
Bank  of  Shawneetown  which  had  virtually  been  dead  since  1822  was  re- 
vived with  a  new  charter  with  a  capital  of  $300,000.  In  1837  the  capital 
of  the  State  Bank  was  increased  by  $2,000,000,  and  that  of  the  State  Bank 
of  Shawneetown  by  $1,400,000.  This  gave  a  total  capital  of  $5,200,000 
for  the  two  banks.  In  addition  the  old  City  and  Bank  of  Cairo  with  a 
capital  of  $200,000  was  doing  some  business  in  Kaskaskia. 

INTERNAL,  IMPROVEMENT  SCHEMES 

In  1836  the  great  Internal  Improvement  schemes  were  launched. 
This  plan  of  internal  improvement  contemplated  the  issuing  of  bonds  to 
the  amount  of  some  ten  or  twelve  millions  of  dollars.  In  addition  there 
was  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  canal  which  called  for  the  expenditure  of 
many  thousands  of  dollars.  These  great  financial  ventures  became  so  in- 
extricably interwoven  with  the  banking  business  that  by  1842  the  state 
was  completely  submerged  by  a  great  wave  of  financial  distress.  The 
banks  were  forced  to  suspend  specie  payment,  the  state's  bonds  were  a 
drug  on  the  market,  and  financial  ruin  seemed  our  destiny.  "Ever 
since  the  abandonment  of  the  internal  improvement  system,  and  conse- 
quent cessation  of  operations  on  various  public  works,  the  state  had 
been  passing  through  a  remarkable  financial  depression.  Individual  en- 
terprise had  been  paralyzed,  and  all  improvements  undertaken  on  pri- 
vate account  had  been  discontinued.  The  channels  of  trade  had  been  ob- 
structed and  the  vitality  of  business  seemed  almost  extinct."  Immigra- 
tion had  ceased,  money  ceased  to  circulate,  and  bartering  was  very  com- 
mon. Wheat  was  forty  cents  per  bushel,  corn  ten  cents,  pork  one  and 
one  half  cents  per  pound,  butter  five  cents,  plain  cheap  calico  thirty- 
seven  and  one-half  cents  per  yard,  and  groceries  of  all  kinds  out  of  sight. 
It  was  often  impossible  for  people  to  pay  their  taxes.  Sales  under  the 
hammer  of  constables  and  sheriffs  were  the  order  of  the  day. 


412  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

FINANCIAL  COMPLICATIONS  AND  EMBARRASSMENTS 

The  debt  of  the  state  at  the  close  of  the  year  1842  was  found  to  be 
$15,657,950.00.  The  income  to  the  state  was  $140,000  annually  while 
the  current  cost  of  government  was  $170,000,  thus  producing  a  deficit  of 
$30,000  yearly.  This  annual  deficit  had  grown  to  a  floating  debt  of 
$313,000.  The  interest  on  the  bonded  debt  was  more  than  a  million  a 
year.  It  thus  appears  that  the  state's  debt  was  growing  at  the  rate  of 
over  a  million  annually. 

Governor  Ford  came  into  office  December,  1842.  The  legislature  and 
the  governor  took  up  the  great  task  of  relieving  the  state  of  its  very  em- 
barrassing situation.  The  state  held  several  millions  of  stock  in  the 
State  Bank  and  the  State  Bank  of  Shawaneetown.  These  two  banks  held 
several  millions  of  the  state's  bonds.  The  banks  were  forced  to  exchange 
the  bonds  for  their  own  stock.  This  reduced  the  debt  and  stopped  inter- 
est. State  lands  were  sold ;  the  state  also  received  a  share  of  the  sale  of 
public  lands  from  the  general  government;  other  steps  were  taken,  to 
bring  order  out  of  chaos.  In  different  ways  the  debt  was  reduced  sev- 
eral millions.  Auditors'  warrants  on  the  state  treasury  rose  from  forty 
and  fifty  cents  to  eighty-five  and  ninety  cents.  The  state's  bonds  rose 
from  fourteen  to  twenty  and  to  thirty,  and  then  to  forty.  Immigration 
set  in,  the  immigrants  bringing  small  quantities  of  ready  cash.  The  talk 
of  repudiating  the  state 's  debt  was  heard  no  more  and  every  one  felt  that 
there  was  at  least  some  chance  of  escape  from  financial  destruction. 

The  bank  at  Shawneetown  had  been  able  to  redeem  its  notes  and  was 
probably  the  soundest  financial  institution  in  the  state.  In  1841  when  it 
was  generally  understood  that  the  whole  state  and  all  private  institu- 
tions were  bankrupt,  the  State  Bank  at  Shawneetown  published  a  finan- 
cial statement  which  is  interesting  at  this  time.  The  statement  was  as 
follows : 

Liabilities : — 

1.  State  capital  stock   $1,000,000.00 

2.  Individual  capital  stock    349,240.00 

3.  Circulation    1,309,996.00 

4.  United  States  treasurer   40.00 

5.  Unclaimed   dividends    1,876.50 

6.  Individual  depositors 70,708.28 

7.  Due  other  banks   7,497.78 

8.  Discount,  exchange,  interest,   etc 29,259.61 

9.  Surplus   fund    115,463.35 

10.     Branch  balance    2,317.51 


Total $2,886,398.51 

Resources : — • 

1.  Bills  discounted    $1,312,070.11 

2.  Bills  of  exchange    295,795.47 

3.  Suspended  debt   101,085.92 

4.  Illinois  bonds   369,998.68 

5.  Illinois  scrip  819.55 

6.  Bank  and  insurance  stock 11,900.00 

7.  Due  from  other  banks 178,472.49 

8.  Real  estate    83,336.74 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


413 


9. 
10. 
11. 


Incidental  Expenses  .................     $     7,428.34 

Cash    (specie)    .......................      422,371.13 

Cash   (bank  notes)    ..................      103,120.00 


Total  .............................  $2,886,398.51 


The  real  estate  in  item  No.  8,  in  "resources,"  consisted  of  a  lot  in 
the  city  of  Shawneetown  at  the  corner  of  Main  and  Main  Cross  streets 
upon  which  stood  and  upon  which  still  stands,  a  magnificent  brown  stone 
structure,  three  stories  high  and  a  very  spacious  open  porch  or  entrance 
whose  roof  is  supported  by  five  immense  fluted  columns  of  Doric  style. 
This  open  porch  is  approached  by  a  flight  of  more  than  a  score  of  stone 
steps.  The  floor  above  the  basement  is  high  enough  to  be  above  the  high 
water  mark  of  those  days.  This  is  the  most  imposing  building  in  all 
the  state  which  dates  as  far  back  as  1840.  It  readily  impresses  the 


OLD  BANKING  HOUSE  IN  SHAWNEETOWN. 

OF  $80,000 


BUILT  ABOUT  1840  AT  A  COST 


stranger  who  "drops  into"  Shawneetown  as  altogether  of  another  age. 
Joel  Matteson  bought  the  building  after  the  crash  of  1843  for  $15,000 
and  began  the  banking  business  under  the  Free  Banking  system.  At 
the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war  ex-Governor  Matteson  fearing  the  in- 
vasion of  Southern  Illinois  by  the  rebels  closed  the  bank  and  later  sold 
the  building  to  Hon.  Thomas  S.  Ridgway  for  $6,500.  Mr.  Ridgway  used 
it  for  a  residence  till  his  death  in  November,  1897.  In  1865  Mr.  Ridgway 
and  Mr.  John  McKee  Peeples  established  the  First  National  Bank  of 
Shawneetown,  and  carried  on  the  banking  business  in  the  front  part  of 
the  building. 

The  collapse  of  the  improvement  schemes  and  of  the  banks  in  1842 
and  1843,  left  the  state  dependent  upon  specie  and  the  bank  notes  of 
banks  of  other  states  for  its  circulating  medium.  The  Mexican  war 
which  absorbed  people's  attention  in  1846  to  1849  really  distributed 
large  quantities  of  cash  in  this  state.  Banks  of  deposit  and  exchange 
were  in  operation  here  and  there,  but  there  were  no  banks  of  issue  in 
Illinois  between  1843  and  the  passage  of  the  Free  Banking  laws  in  1851. 


414  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

THE  FREE  BANKING  LAW 

The  constitution  of  1818  served  the  people  for  twenty  years.  In 
1848  we  adopted  our  second  fundamental  law.  It  had  many  features 
in  it  which  differed  radically  from  the  one  of  1818,  but  the  phase  we 
are  just  now  interested  in  was  the  provision  about  banks  and  banking. 
Articles  10,  section  3,  reads:  "No  state  bank  shall  hereafter  be  created, 
nor  shall  the  state  own  or  be  liable  for  any  stock  in  any  corporation  or 
joint-stock  association  for  banking  purposes,  to  be  hereafter  created." 
Section  5  reads:  "No  act  of  the  general  assembly,  authorizing  corpo- 
rations or  associations  with  banking  powers,  shall  go  into  effect,  or  in 
any  manner  be  in  force,  unless  the  same  shall  be  submitted  to  the  peo- 
ple at  the  general  election  next  succeeding  the  passage  of  the  same,  and 
be  approved  by  a  majority  of  all  the  votes  cast  at  such  election  for  or 
against  such  law." 

In  1838,  the  legislature  of  New  York  passed  a  law  which  created  a 
system  of  banking  quite  different  from  anything  before  tried  in  this 
country.  This  bill  provided  the  following  plan,  briefly  outlined : 

1.  A  person  or  persons  might  deposit  with  the  comptroller  of  the 
State  a  certain  amount  of  United  States  bonds,  New  York  State  bonds, 
or  other  state  bonds,  or  mortgages  to  be  approved  by  that  officer,  as 
security. 

2.  The  comptroller  issued  to  such  persons  bank  bills  which  when 
properly  signed  by  the  bank  officers  might  be  put  into  circulation  as 
money. 

3.  Said  notes  when  put  in  circulation  were  to  be  redeemed  by  the 
bank  when  presented  for  redemption  by  the  holder  within  a  limited 
time,  or 

4.  The  comptroller  could  sell  the  bonds  deposited  with  him  and  re- 
deem said  bank  notes. 

5.  In  case  the  State  had  to  wind  up  the  affairs  of  any  such  bank  and 
the  securities  on  deposit  did  not  bring  an  amount  equal  to  the  out- 
standing bank  notes,  the  available  cash  from  the  sale  of  the  bonds  was 
used  in  paying  as  large  a  per  cent  as  possible  on  the  dollar,  and  all  else 
was  lost  to  the  bank-note  holder. 

Upon  the  face  of  this  law  it  looked  as  if  there  was  scarcely  any 
chance  for  loss  to  the  bank-note  holder  and  of  course  there  could  be 
none  to  the  state  as  it  was  acting  merely  in  the  capacity  of  an  agent  of 
trust.  Following  the  ratification  of  the  constitution  of  1848,  there  be- 
gan almost  immediately  an  agitation  for  banks  of  issue  in  Illinois.  In 
the  session  of  1851  the  legislature  passed  a  banking  law  modeled  upon 
the  New  York  law  outlined  above.  This  law  could  not  go  into  effect 
until  ratified  by  the  majority  of  the  votes  cast  at  a  general  election. 
The  general  election  was  provided  for  in  November,  1851,  and  the  vote 
stood — for  the  law,  37,626;  against  the  law,  31,405 — a  very  light  vote. 

This  law  was  called  the  "Free  Banking  Law,"  because  anyone  could 
go  into  the  banking  business.  That  is,  one  did  not  have  to  have  a  specially 
enacted  charter.  The  securities  were  to  be  deposited  with  the  auditor  of 
public  accounts,  and  might  consist  of  United  States  bonds,  Illinois  state 
bonds,  other  state  bonds.  A  provision  in  the  law  contemplated  the  de- 
preciation in  value  of  state  bonds  and  so  they  were  not  taken  for  their 
full  face  value.  No  bank  could  be  organized  with  a  smaller  bank  issue 
than  $50.000.  It  was  also  provided  in  the  law  that  if  any  bank  refused 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  415 


to  redeem  its  issue,  it  was  liable  to  a  fine  of  12%  per  cent  on  the  amount 
presented  for  redemption. 

One  way  the  bank  managed  to  keep  people  from  presenting  their 
bills  for  redemption  was  as  follows:  A  bank,  say  in  Springfield,  Illi- 
nois, would  send  $25,000  of  its  own  issue  to  a  bank  in  Massachusetts, 
say  in  Boston;  the  Boston  bank  returning  a  like  amount  to  the  Spring- 
field bank.  Each  bank  would  then  pay  out  this  money  over  its  counter 
in  small  quantities  and  in  this  way  the  Springfield  bank  issue  would 
become  scattered  all  over  New  England  and  no  person  holding  but  a 
few  dollars  would  think  of  coming  to  Springfield  to  get  his  bills  re- 
deemed. The  issue  of  the  Boston  bank  would  be  scattered  through  the 
west.  In  this  way,  and  in  other  ways  the  money  of  Illinois  became  scat- 
tered in  other  states  while  in  the  ordinary  business  transactions  in  this 
state  one  would  handle  a  large  number  of  bills  daily  which  had  been 
issued  in  other  states. 

No  doubt  many  corporations  went  into  the  banking  business  under 
this  law  with  clean  hands  and  carried  on  a  properly  conducted  bank- 
ing business  but  there  were  ways  by  which  irresponsible  and  dishonest 
men  might  go  into  the  banking  business  and  make  large  sums  of  money 
without  very  much  capital  invested.  Such  banks  were  known  as  Wild 
Cat  Banks.  The  name  is  said  to  have  originated  from  the  picture  of  a 
wild  cat  engraved  on  the  bills  of  one  of  these  irresponsible  banks  in 
Michigan.  However,  they  may  have  been  named  from  the  fact  that  the 
word  wild  cat  was  often  applied  to  any  irresponsible  venture  or  scheme. 

ONE  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTEEN  BANKS  OF  ISSUE 

There  were,  in  Illinois,  organized  under  this  law,  115  banks  of  issue. 
Up  to  1860  the  "ultimate  security"  was  sufficient  at  any  time  to  redeem 
all  outstanding  bills,  but  when  the  Civil  war  came  on  the  securities  of 
the  southern  states,  on  deposit  in  the  auditor's  office,  depreciated  greatly 
in  value.  The  banks  were  going  into  liquidation  rapidly.  They  re- 
deemed their  bills  at  all  prices  from  par  down  to  forty-nine  cents  on  the 
dollar.  It  is  estimated  that  the  bill-holders  lost  about  $400,000,  but  that 
it  came  in  such  a  way  that  it  was  not  felt  seriously.  This  system  of 
banking  was  followed  by  the  National  Banking  system  with  which  we" 
are  acquainted  today. 

The  one  hundred  and  fifteen  banks  of  issue  which  were  in  operation 
in  Illinois  just  prior  to  the  Civil  war,  issued  nearly  a  thousand  different 
kinds  of  bank  bills.  Because  of  the  large  number  of  kinds  of  bills, 
counterfeiting  was  easy,  and  it  is  said  that  much  of  the  monev  in  circu* 
lation  was  counterfeit.  Bankers  received  reports  as  to  the  condition  of 
the  banks  over  the  state  daily.  One  never  knew  when  he  presented  a 
bill  in  payment  of  a  debt,  whether  or  not  it  was  of  any  value.  Often 
the  merchant  would  accept  this  paper  money  only  when  heavily  dis- 
counted. 

There  was  quite  a  tendency  to  tamper  with  the  law  as  originally 
ratified  by  the  people  in  1851.  The  question  of  constitutionality  of 
amendments  came  up  and  some  confusion  resulted.  In  1854  there  was 
a  money  panic  resulting  from  the  failure  of  a  number  of  banks  in  Ohio 
and  Indiana.  The  flurry  was  caused  by  a  quick  decline  of  state  securi- 
ties on  the  New  York  market.  The  panic  moved  west  and  reached  Illi- 
nois. The  bank  commissioners  were  able  to  satisfy  the  people  that  the 


416  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

bank  notes  were  secure  and  the  excitement  soon  died  out.  In  1857  an- 
other financial  storm  broke  in  this  country  and  Illinois  was  of  course 
seriously  affected.  It  is  stated  that  there  were  more  than  two  hundred 
thousand  failures  in  the  United  States,  with  liabilities  of  nearly  three 
hundred  million  and  with  assets  of  about  half  that  amount.  The  fail- 
ures in  Illinois  were  316  with  a  liability  of  more  than  nine  millions. 
It  is  thought  these  great  sums  were  of  a  speculative  nature.  The  legiti- 
mate business  of  the  country  was  not  so  seriously  affected. 

By  1860  the  normal  conditions  of  trade  and  business  had  been  re- 
stored. There  were  at  that  time  110  free  banks  in  Illinois  with  a  circu- 
lation of  $12,000,000  and  with  securities  deposited  with  the  auditor  of 
public  accounts  of  nearly  $14,000,000.  The  notes  of  these  banks  were 
at  par  in  Illinois,  but  out  of  the  state  they  were  at  a  discount  of  from 
one  to  three  per  cent.  This  system  is  said  to  have  furnished  a  good  cir- 
culating medium  but  there  was  more  or  less  trouble  about  the  redemp- 
tion process. 

EFFECTS  OF  NATIONAL  BANKING  SYSTEM 

In  February,  1863,  congress  passed  an  act  creating  a  National  Bank- 
ing System.  This  plan  was  modeled  after  the  Free  Banking  System  of 
the  state  of  New  York.  Its  several  features  are  too  well  known  to  need 
any  explanation  at  this  time,  several  of  the  free  banks  of  Illinois 
changed  over  to  national  banks  in  the  summer  of  1863.  All  free  banks 
which  had  their  notes  secured .  by  bonds  of  the  seceding  states  were 
obliged  to  put  up  additional  security  or  redeem  their  notes  and  go  out 
of  business.  In  this  way  the  free  banks  began  to  disappear.  In  March, 
1865,  congress  passed  a  law  which  placed  a  tax  on  all  state  bank  issue. 
This  law  had  the  effect  of  forcing  the  remainder  of  the  free  banks  out 
of  business  or  to  force  them  into  national  banks.  This  national  banking 
system  has  proved  the  most  perfect  scheme  for  issuing  paper  money  of 
any  yet  devised,  and  is  the  most  reliable  financial  factor  in  the  business 
world. 

ILLINOIS  BANKERS'  ASSOCIATION 

The  business  of  banking  has  grown  wonderfully  within  the  past  half 
century.  In  1891  the  bankers  perfected  an  organization  known  as  ' '  The 
Illinois  Bankers'  Association."  In  1895  there  was  a  consolidation  of  the 
association  of  private  banks  and  the  association  of  national  and  state 
banks.  The  following  comparative  table  of  items  will  show  the  growth 
of  banks  and  banking  business  since  the  association  has  been  organized : 

1890  1911 

Number  national  banks 192  438 

Number  state  banks 56  544 

Number  private  banks 473  659 


Totals    721  1,641 

National  banks: 

Capital    $  31,200,000  $  73,220,000 

Surplus    12,000,000  41,936,000 

Deposits    102,696,000  657,552.000 

Resources   206,638,000  826,933,000 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  417 

State  banks : 

Capital   $  10,332,000  $  64,071,000 

Surplus 3,824,000  33,702,000 

Deposits 49,259,000  630,205,000 

Resources  826,933,000  755,454,000 

GROUP  No.  10 — (SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS) 

Several  years  ago  it  was  thought  advisable  to  organize  the  bankers 
into  groups  within  the  larger  organization.  There  are  ten  groups. 
Southern  Illinois  comprises  all  the  territory  in  group  ten,  all  the  terri- 
tory in  group  nine,  and  four  counties  in  group  six,  namely:  Clark, 
Cumberland,  Crawford  and  Jasper.  The  chairman  of  group  nine  is 
Ben  M.  Smith,  Salem ;  secretary,  R.  E.  Hamill,  Preeburg.  One  hun- 
dred seventy-five  banks  belong  to  group  nine,  and  there  are  twenty-five 
banks  that  are  not  members,  total  200  banks.  The  following  is  a  list 
of  counties  with  number  of  banks  in  each  county :  Bond,  6 ;  Clay,  10 ; 
Clinton,  14;  Edwards,  6;  Emngham,  14;  Payette,  10;  Jefferson,  15; 
Lawrence,  11 ;  Madison,  3ft;  Marion,  17 ;  Monroe,  4 ;  Perry,  8 ;  Randolph, 
17 ;  Richland,  5 ;  St.  Clair,  18 ;  Wabash,  6 ;  Washington,  9 ;  Wayne,  8. 

Group  ten  has  for  chairman  J.  S.  Aisthorpe,  Cairo ;  secretary,  E.  B. 
Jackson,  Marion.  The  following  is  a  list  of  counties  in  the  group  and 
the  number  of  banks  in  each :  Alexander,  5 ;  Franklin,  11 ;  Gallatin,  8 ; 
Hamilton,  10 ;  Hardin,  3 ;  Jackson,  16 ;  Johnson,  6 ;  Massac,  6 ;  Pope, 
3;  Pulaski,  6;  Saline,  13;  Union,  8;  White,  15;  Williamson,  15.  This 
group  has  125  banks,  112  of  which  are  members  and  13  are  non-mem- 
bers. For  Southern  Illinois  there  is  one  bank  for  every  2,471  popula- 
tion. 

The  twenty-first  meeting  of  the  Bankers'  Association  was  held  in 
Springfield,  October  11-12,  1911.  For  that  year  Mr.  E.  E.  Crabtree  of 
Jacksonville  was  president.  The  gathering  was  a  notable  one.  The 
programme  was  varied  and  some  prominent  men  were  present;  among 
them  Hon.  James  J.  Hill,  who  spoke  on  "The  Production,  Exchange, 
and  Distribution  of  Wealth."  Dr.  Eugene  Davenport,  dean  of  the  Col- 
lege of  Agriculture,  University  of  Illinois,  spoke  on  "The  Relation  of 
the  Banker  to  Agriculture."  Hon.  J.  Adam  Bede  of  Minnesota  gave 
an  address  full  of  humorous  incidents  said  to  come  out  of  his  experi- 
ence. There  were  present  at  this  meeting  a  few  of  the  charter  mem- 
bers of  the  association,  among  them  D.  W.  Smith  and  E.  D.  Keys  of 
Springfield. 

It  is  difficult  to  estimate  the  part  played  by  banks  in  the  develop- 
ment of  Southern  Illinois.  Without  doubt  a  bank  in  a  community  begets 
the  spirit  of  thrift,  frugality,  and  conservatism.  In  many  localities  the 
banks  foster  industries  of  various  kinds  and  often  support  the  mer- 
cantile interests.  The  establishment  of  savings  banks,  and  savings  de- 
partments in  other  banks  has  worked  greatly  to  beget  a  frugal  habit  in 
our  people. 

BUILDING  AND  LOAN  ASSOCIATIONS 

It  will  be  entirely  in  keeping  with  the  subject  matter  in  this  chapter 
to  consider  very  briefly  here  a  species  of  banking,  or  at  least  of  savings 
banking,  which  we  know  as  "Building  and  Loan  Associations."  In  the 


418  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

general  assemply  of  1879  an  act  was  passed  creating  building  and  loan 
associations.  These  are  co-operative  associations  having  for  their  aim 
the  creation  of  a  fund  by  the  monthly  payment  by  "investors"  of  a 
small  sum,  which  when  sufficiently  large  may  be  loaned  to  "borrowers." 
The  borrower  also  becomes  an  investor,  and  when  his  investment  amounts 
to  a  sum  equal  to  the  amount  he  borrowed,  the  interest  having  been 
paid  monthly,  the  debt  is  cancelled.  This  enables  people  who  have  a 
small  saving  each  month  to  invest  that  in  building  and  loan  stock.  The 
earnings  are  usually  better  than  other  forms  of  investment  because 
the  borrower  pays  his  interest  monthly.  This  interest  is  immediately 
loaned  and  is  compounded  several  times  by  the  end  of  the  year.  The 
borrower  finds  it  easy  to  pay  his  interest  monthly  and  his  investment 
also,  and  so  in  a  sense  profits  much  from  this  plan  of  paying  for  a  home. 
The  oldest  building  and  loan  association  under  the  law  of  July  1, 
1879,  is  without  doubt  one  organized  in  Centralia  in  August,  1879.  How- 
ever it  appears  that  there  were  "Savings  and  Loan  Associations"  as 
early  as  June,  1874.  One  such  was  organized  in  Shelbyville  in  that 
year.  This  form  of  savings  is  very  popular  in  Southern  Illinois.  There 
is  scarcely  a  town  of  any  size  that  does  not  have  its  association. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 
AGRICULTURAL  RESOURCES 

PREPONDERANCE  OP  RURAL  POPULATION — AVERAGE  SIZE  AND  PRICE  OP 
FARMS — PERCENT  OP  VALUE  IN  LANDS,  BUILDINGS,  ETC. — NUMBER  OF 
FARMS — EDUCATIONAL  AGENCIES. 

Southern  Illinois  contains  no  very  large  cities,  East  St.  Louis  is  the 
largest,  with  a  population  of  58,547.  Belleville  in  the  same  county,  St. 
Clair,  ranks  second  with  a  population  of  21,122.  The  third  city  is 
Cairo  with  14,548  souls.  Manufacturing  is  carried  on  quite  extensively 
in  these  three  cities.  In  the  first  the  chief  manufacturing  interests  are 
pork  packing  and  beef  dressing.  In  the  second  .the  interest  is  chiefly 
foundry  work,  and  farm  and  other  machinery ;  while  in  Cairo  the  manu- 
facturing activities  are  mostly  in  the  field  of  furniture  and  kindred 
products.  Outside  of  these  three  large  cities  there  is  nothing  extensively 
carried  on  in  manufacturing.  However  there  are  some  worthy  enter- 
prises in  other  towns  which  will  be  spoken  of  in  another  place. 

PREPONDERANCE  OP  RURAL  POPULATION 

Out  of  a  total  population  of  Southern  Illinois  of  804,877,  according 
to  the  census  of  1910,  31.9  per  cent  are  living  in  cities  of  more  than 
2,500,  while  68.1  per  cent  are  in  towns,  villages,  or  in  rural  communi- 
ties. Out  of  a  total  population  for  the  state  of  5,638,591,  61.7  per  cent 
live  in  cities  of  2,500  and  over,  while  38.3  per  cent  live  in  towns,  villages 
or  in  rural  communities.  This  comparison  is  interesting  in  that  it  shows 
that  twice  as  many  people  in  every  100  live  in  rural  communities  in 
Southern  Illinois  as  live  in  rural  communities  in  the  state  as  a  whole. 

When  we  remember  that  Southern  Illinois  soil  is  poor  compared  with 
the  black  soil  of  Central  and  Northern  Illinois,  we  are  at  a  loss  to  know 
how  to  account  for  the  fact  that  in  Egypt  more  than  twice  as  many 
people  are  found  in  rural  communities  as  are  found  in  cities  above  2,500. 
At  the  same  time  two-thirds  of  all  the  people  of  the  state  live  in  cities 
above  2,500  population. 

One  explanation  of  the  larger  per  cent  of  rviral  population  over 
urban  population  in  Southern  Illinois  is  the  character  of  the  soil  and 
the  lack  of  any  great  demand  for  manufactories  in  the  cities  of  this 
region.  In  making  the  early  settlements  the  new  comers  occupied  farms 
of  small  areas.  Many  of  these  were  cleared  of  heavy  growths  of  timber 
before  they  were  of  any  value  as  farm  lands.  To  show  the  compara- 
tive sizes  of  farms  in  Southern  and  Central  Illinois  we  have  the  follow- 
ing. 

419 


420  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

AVERAGE  SIZE  AND  PRICE  OF  FARMS 

Average  size  of  farms  in  34  Southern  Illinois  counties,  census  of  1910, 
of  improved  lands,  is  82  acres.  Average  size  of  farms  of  same  charac- 
ter in  northern  and  central  counties  is  133  acres.  The  average  for  the 
entire  state  is  111  acres.  The  smallest  average  for  farms  in  any  county 
is  in  Pulaski  county,  56.8  acres.  The  largest  average  is  in  Piatt  county, 
177  acres.  Thus  it  is  readily  seen  that  the  Egyptians  are  small  farm- 
ers. Not  only  so  but  their  lands  are  the  cheapest  in  price  and  the  poor- 
est in  quality.  The  average  price  per  acre  for  farm  lands  for  the  state 
is  $95.02.  The  average  price  per  acre  for  the  34  southern  counties  is 
$38.59.  The  highest  average  priced  farm  lands  in  any  county  is,  for 
Cook  county,  $183.  For  Champaign  county  $177. 

PER  CENT  OF  VALUE  IN  LANDS,  BUILDINGS,  ETC. 

Something  of  the  character  of  farm  buildings,  farm  machinery,  and 
domestic  animals  may  be  seen  in  the  following  comparisons : 

Per  cent  of  value  in  all  farm  property  in  (state)  : 

Lands    79.1 

Buildings   11.1 

Implements  and  machinery   1.9 

Domestic  animals   7.9 


100 

Per  cent  of  value  in  all  farm  property  in  (Lake  county)  : 

Lands 65.6 

Buildings    22.4 

Implements 2.7 

Domestic  animals  .  9.3 


100 
Per  cent  for  Southern  Illinois: 

Lands    72.54 

Buildings    13.50 

Implements  . . : ' 2.37 

Domestic  animals   .  .  11.48 


99.89 

Highest  per  cent  in  lands  in  Southern  Illinois  is  Wabash  county, 
78.1  per  cent. 

Highest  per  cent  in  farm  buildings  is  in  Hardin  county,  20  per  cent. 

The  highest  per  cent  invested  in  farm  machinery  is  in  Pulaski  county, 
3.4  per  cent.  This,  by  the  way,  is  the  highest  in  the  state. 

The  highest  per  cent  invested  in  domestic  animals  in  Southern  Illi- 
nois is  in  Hardin  county,  22.3  per  cent. 

From  these  and  other  statistics  we  see  that  our  lands  are  rated  at 
only  one-third  of  the  value  of  lands  in  the  central  and  northern  part 
of  the  state,  but  that  the  people  have  put  more  money  into  their  build- 
ings, implements,  and  stock,  in  comparison  with  the  value  of  their  lands, 
than  the  people  to  the  north  of  them  have  done. 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  421 

NUMBER  OF  FARMS 

In  the  entire  state  there  has  been  a  falling  off  in  the  number  of 
farms  from  1900  to  1910.  In  1900  there  were  158,503  farms  in  the 
state ;  in  1910  there  were  145,107,  a  decrease  of  13,396  farms. 

In  the  following  nine  counties  there  was  an  increase  in  the  number 
of  farms : 

County                                                 1900  1910 

Edwards    956  1,052 

Effingham 1,784  1,789 

McHenry    1,549  1,592 

Monroe 824  882 

Pulaski 784  883 

Richland    1,678  1,712 

Union   1,357  1,440 

Wayne    3,106  3,185 

Woodford    985  991 

Seven  of  these  counties  are  in  Southern  Illinois.  That  shows  that 
there  was  an  increase  in  the  number  of  farms  in  25  per  cent  of  the 
counties  of  this  section. 

i  , 

EDUCATIONAL  AGENCIES 

Much  is  being  done  to  maintain  the  dignity  of  the  calling  of  the 
agriculturist.  We  have  already  spoken  of  the  establishing  of  a  depart- 
ment of  agriculture  in  the  state  normal  at  Carbondale.  Experiment 
stations  have  also  been  established  in  several  counties  in  Southern  Illinois. 

The  Farmers'  Institute  has  done  much  and  is  doing  much  to  advance 
the  cause  of  agriculture  in  Egypt.  In  most  of  the  counties  there  are 
county  organizations.  The  congressional  district  however  is  the  unit 
of  organization.  County  superintendents  report  to  the  superintendent 
of  farmers'  institutes.  In  these  reports  the  county  superintendents 
reveal  the  spirit  and  work  of  the  rural  communities.  In  March,  1910, 
Mr.  Frank  Hall,  then  Superintendent  of  Farmers'  Institutes,  sent  out 
a  circular  letter  to  county  superintendents,  as  follows : 

"Dear  Sir: — For  the  good  of  the  cause,  please  give  me  for  publica- 
tion in  our  next  report,  and  elsewhere  if  I  so  elect,  an  account,  brief  or 
otherwise,  of  the  work  in  agriculture  being  done  in  the  schools  in  your 
county.  Let  your  report  include  the  following: 

"1.  In  what  manner  and  to  what  extent  have  you  co-operated  with 
the  officers  of  the  County  Farmers'  Institute? 

"2.  Was  agriculture  taught  in  your  last  summer's  county  institute? 
If  not,  why  not  ? 

"3.  Will  agriculture  receive  attention  in  your  next  summer's  county 
institute?  If  not,  why  not?  (Questions  2  and  3  are  intended  to  find 
out  if  lack  of  funds  or  lack  of  interest  is  the  cause  of  no  instruction  in 
agriculture.) 

"4.  Was  corn-day  observed  in  your  school?  Did  you  have  a  town- 
ship or  county  corn-day  following  the  day  appointed  by  Supt.  F.  G. 
Blair  for  the  exhibition  and  study  of  corn  in  the  district  schools? 

"5.  What  work  in  agriculture  in  addition  to  the  foregoing  is  at- 
tempted in  the  schools  in  your  county?  In  the  grades?  In  the  high 
schools  ? 


422  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

"6.  What  work  in  domestic  science  (or  domestic  art)  is  attempted 
in  the  schools  of  your  county  ?  In  the  grades  ?  In  the  high  schools  ? 

"Fraternally  yours, 

"PRANK  H.  HALL, 
"Superintendent  Farmers'  Institutes." 

To  this  letter  many  very  satisfactory  replies  came,  but  evidently 
some  county  superintendents  did  not  reply  at  all. 

It  is  certain  from  a  survey  of  Southern  Illinois  that  great  progress 
has  been  made  within  recent  years,  and  the  good  work  goes  on. 

The  census  report  of  1910  shows  that  Southern  Illinois  is  diversified 
in  its  products.  The  principal  crops  for  the  state  at  large  are :  1, 
corn ;  2,  oats ;  3,  wheat ;  4,  barley ;  5,  potatoes ;  6,  hay  and  forage,  as 
follows:  (a)  Timothy,  (b)  timothy  and  clover,  (c)  clover,  (d)  alfalfa, 
(e)  millet,  (f)  other  cultivated  grasses,  (g)  wild  grasses,  (h)  grains 
cut  green. 

Attention  will  be  called  to  the  particular  crop  for  each  county  in 
the  county  sketches  where  there  are  marked  instances  in  agricultural 
production. 


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CHAPTER  XXXVII 
ALEXANDER  COUNTY 

FIRST  SETTLERS  NEAR  THEBES  AND  AT  CAIRO — COUNTY  SEAT  CHANGES — 
CAIRO  SURVEYED  AND  FOUNDED — LUMBER  INTERESTS  AND  LEVEES — 
ALEXANDER  IN  WAR — INDUSTRIES,  RAILROADS  AND  SCHOOLS — NOTED 
VISITORS — SOME  PROMINENT  MEN  OF  THE  COUNTY — THE  OLD  TOWN 
OF  THEBES. 

In  the  general  assembly  on  March  4,  1819,  Alexander  county  was 
created.  At  that  time  it  contained  all  of  its  present  territory  and  the 
west  part  of  the  county  of  Pulaski.  The  county  was  named  from  Dr. 
Wm.  M.  Alexander,  a  pioneer  who  came  to  Union  county  as  early  as 
1818.  He  was  instrumental  in  booming  the  town  of  America,  the  first 
county  seat  of  Alexander  county. 

FIRST  SETTLERS  NEAR  THEBES  AND  AT  CAIRO 

Without  doubt  the  first  settlers  in  the  county  were  three  families — 
Joshua,  Abraham,  and  Thomas  Flannary ;  John  McElmurry  and  Joseph 
Standlee.  They  settled  on  the  Mississippi  river  about  four  miles  below 
the  present  town  of  Thebes.  There  are  six  or  more  old  French  grants 
lying  parallel  to  the  river  and  touching  one  another  endwise  in  Santa 
Fe  and  Goose  Island  precincts.  They  are  numbered  from  north  to 
south  as  follows:  681,  680,  520,  536,  537,  and  2.564,  etc.  These  old 
French  claims  were  confirmed  by  Congress  on  May  1,  1810,  to  John  Mc- 
Elmurry.  Jr.,  claims  or  grants  numbered  680,  681,  525  and  526 ;  to 
Joseph  Standlee  grants  2.564,  and  684;  to  Abraham  Flannary.  or  his 
heirs.  531,  529 ;  to  Joshua  Flannary,  or  his  heirs,  530  and  528 ;  to  Thomas 
Flannary,  or  his  heirs.  529  and  527. 

The  first  settlers  in  Cairo  were  a  family  by  the  name  of  Bird. 
They  are  supposed  to  have  come  to  the  present  site  of  Cairo  as  early  as 
1795.  and  after  remaining  a  short  time  moved  to  Cape  Girardeau.  They 
may  have  returned  about  1811  as  quite  a  number  of  refugees  came  from 
New  Madrid  about  the  time  of  the  earthquake  at  that  place.  The  Birds 
settled  on  the  extreme  south  end  of  the  peninsula,  at  least  they  entered 
land  there.  As  early  as  1812  there  were  a  few  settlers  along  the  Ohio 
at  Mound  City,  America,  and  near  New  Caledonia. 

COUNTY  SEAT  CHANGES 

The  first  county  seat  was  America,  now  a  forgotten  town,  three  and 
a  half  miles  above  the  present  Mound  City.  In  1833  the  county  seat 

425 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  427 

was  moved  to  Unity,  four  miles  due  west  of  the  present  town  of  Villa 
Ridge.  From  here  the  seat  of  justice  was  moved  to  Thebes  in  1844. 
From  here  it  was  removed  to  Cairo  about  1859  or  1860. 

The  settlers  were  slow  about  taking  up  lands  and  opening  up  farms. 
They  hunted  and  fished  and  wandered  about.  The  real  settlers  who 
developed  the  farms  did  not  come  till  after  1840  and  the  first  church 
in  the  county  was  built  about  that  time.  Schools  were  slow  in  opening. 
The  first  teacher  is  said  to  have  been  David  McMichael;  Topley  White 
and  Moses  Phillips  were  pioneer  teachers. 

CAIRO  SURVEYED  AND  FOUNDED 

In  1817,  July  26,  John  G.  Comegys  of  Baltimore  bought  eighteen 
hundred  acres  lying  on  and  constituting  the  peninsula  excepting  the 
extreme  south  end  which  was  bought  by  Wm.  Bird  the  next  year.  The 
Cairo  City  and  Bank  was  chartered  January  9,  1818.  The  land  of  the 
peninsula  was  to  be  made  into  lots  and  sold  and  a  portion  of  the  money 
put  into  improvements  and  the  rest  of  it  was  to  constitute  the  capital  of 
the  bank.  The  peninsula  was  surveyed  and  a  city  laid  off.  The  bank 
was  a  bank  of  issue  and  was  located  in  Kaskaskia.  In  1841  a  new  com- 
pany, The  Cairo  City  and  Canal  Company,  was  organized  which  bought 
large  quantities  of  land  on  the  peninsula.  Darius  B.  Holbrook  was  the 
moving  spirit  in  this  company.  A  few  houses  were  built,  among  them 
a  large  wooden  hotel,  two  stories,  and  some  woodmen's  shanties.  A  store 
was  kept  in  a  boat.  Work  on  the  central  railroad  had  brought  a  great 
many  people  to  the  vicinity  of  Cairo.  In  the  meantime  farms  were 
being  opened.  The  villages  of  the  county  were  flourishing. 

LUMBER  INTERESTS  AND  LEVEES 

The  lumber  interests  were  important  at  an  early  date.  A  steamboat, 
the  "Tennessee  Valley,"  was  built  at  Cairo  in  1842.  It  was  on  April 
9th  of  that  year  that  Chas.  Dickens  reached  Cairo  from  Louisville.  As 
he  approached  the  peninsula  he  saw  the  big  hotel,  the  few  stores,  the 
brick  yards,  and  the  "ways"  on  which  the  "Tennessee  Valley"  was  in 
process  of  final  construction.  In  1828  the  Birds  brought  slaves  over 
from  Missouri  and  built  the  first  levee.  It  was  constructed  around  the 
big  hotel.  This  hotel  stood  just  south  of  the  Halliday  House.  The  sale 
of  bonds  in  Europe  enabled  the  Cairo  City  and  Canal  Company  to  con- 
struct levees  about  the  city.  It  is  said  as  many  as  1,500  men  were  at 
work  on  the  levees  at  one  time.  In  1844  there  was  extremely  high  water 
but  Cairo  was  protected  by  the  levees.  In  1851  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad  Company  agreed  to  build  a  levee  around  the  city  eighty  feet 
wide  on  top  and  of  sufficient  height  to  keep  out  the  highest  waters. 
These  levees  are  doing  -duty  today,  with  others  which  have  been  built. 
In  June,  1858,  the  levees  broke  and  the  city  was  flooded,  though  the 
water  was  not  so  high.  The  highest  water  ever  recorded  above  the  low 
water  mark  was  April,  1912.  At  that  time  the  gauge  read  54  feet. 

ALEXANDER  IN  THE  WAR 

Alexander  sent  her  auota  of  men  to  all  the  wars  in  which  Illinois 
has  taken  part.  In  1812  she  furnished  three  soldiers — David  Sowers, 


428 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


Robert  Hight,  and  Nathan  M.  Thompson.  In  the  Black  Hawk  war 
Capt.  Henry  L.  Webb  served  with  a  company  of  52  men  mounted 
volunteers.  The  county  did  her  duty  in  the  Mexican  war;  and  in  the 
Civil  war,  Cairo  was  the  most  important  military  point  north  of  the 
Ohio.  Col.  Oglesby,  Gen.  Prentiss,  Gen.  Grant,  and  other  prominent 
soldiers  commanded  at  this  point.  Gunboats,  transports,  and  naval  sup- 
plies were  to  be  seen  on  every  hand  from  '61  to  '65.  Many  of  the  old 


THE  GUN,  "CAPT.  BILLY  WILLIAMS,"  IN  DUNCAN  PARK,  CAIRO 
THE  GIFT  OP  CAPT.  WM.  WILLIAMS 

citizens  in  Cairo  remember  well  when  Grant  and  Foote  sojourned  in 
Cairo. 

INDUSTRIES,  RAILROADS  AND  SCHOOLS 

While  this  county  is  mainly  an  agricultural  county,  there  are  large 
interest  in  manufacturing  and  shipping.  Immense  quantities  of  hard 
lumber  are  kept  in  stock  by  great  lumber  firms.  Planing  mills  furnish 
abundance  of  work  for  hundreds  of  hands.  Immense  plants  have  re- 
cently been  located  in  North  Cairo.  One  of  these,  a  veneering  plant,  is 
controlled  by  the  Singer  Sewing  Machine  Co. 

Cairo  has  in  recent  years  become  a  great  railroad  center.  The  Illi- 
nois Central  has  large  interests  in  Cairo.  So  also  has  the  Mobile  and 
Ohio,  and  the  Big  Four.  A  company  called  the  Cairo  and  Thebes  Rail- 
road Company  has  recently  erected  elegant  terminals  in  Cairo  and  con- 
structed a  road  from  Cairo  to  Thebes  where  connection  is  made  with  a 
number  of  other  roads. 

Educational  interests  have  suffered  in  this  county  largely  because  of 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  429 

topographical  conditions,  a  large  share  of  the  county  is  subject  to  over- 
flow and  rural  schools  are  greatly  handicapped.  In  some  localities  the 
colored  population  is  considerable  and  this  forces  the  school  district  to 
have  two  schools  or  to  have  colored  and  white  children  in  the  same 
school.  In  the  city  of  Cairo,  however,  the  schools  have  been  kept  up  to 
a  very  high  standard.  Especially  is  this  true  of  the  city  high  school. 
The  city  schools  have  been  under  the  management  of  Prof.  T.  C.  Clen- 
denin  for  two  decades  and  are  well  patronized.  Mrs.  Fanny  P.  Hacker 
is  the  present  county  superintendent. 

NOTED  VISITORS 

The  geographical  position  of  the  city  of  Cairo  has  given  the  place 
some  notoriety  which  otherwise  would  not  have  come  to  it.  As  has  al* 
ready  been  pointed  out  Charles  Dickens  of  England  visited  Cairo  in 
1842.  It  is  doubtful  whether  he  was  off  the  boat,  but  he  saw  enough 
of  it  to  cause  a  very  unpleasant  memory  of  it  to  be  recorded  in  his 
"American  Notes."  It  has  been  suggested  that  he  owned  stock  in  the 
Cairo  City  and  Canal  Company.  At  least  he  gave  the  city  some  excel- 
lent free  advertising. 

Capt.  Billy  Williams,  an  honored  citizen  of  Cairo,  says  he  once  saw 
Gen.  Winfield  Scott  land  from  a  passing  vessel  and  inspect  the  city  of 
that  time.  He  also  remembers  Charlotte  Cushman  as  a  Cairo  visitor. 

Commodore  Foote,  while  yet  a  flag  officer,  having  returned  from  the 
bombarding  and  capture  of  Fort  Henry  was  desirous  of  attending  church 
on  a  Sunday.  In  company  with  his  crew  he  attended  the  Presbyterian 
church.  The  pastor  was  unable  to  be  present  on  account  of  a  sudden  ill- 
ness. Comodore  Foote  was  not  willing  that  all  the  congregation  should 
be  disappointed,  so  he  ascended  the  pulpit  and  took  his  text  from  John 
14,  1 :  "  Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled ;  ye  believe  in  God,  believe  also 
in  me. ' '  His  sermon  was  acceptable  and  all  retired  feeling  that  the  dis- 
tinguished guest  could  do  other  things  than  reduce  great  forts  to  ruins. 

A  very  famous  picture  was  taken  while  the  troops  were  stationed  in 
Cairo  in  September,  1861.  It  is  a  front  view  of  the  post  office.  About 
its  doors  are  gathered  a  number  of  Cairo  citizens  surrounding  two  great 
warriors-to-be,  Gen.  John  A.  McClernand  and  Gen.  Ulysses  S.  Grant. 
This  picture  appears  in  Volume  I  of  the  Photographic  History  of  the' 
Civil  War  and  also  in  Judge  Lansden  's  History  of  Cairo.  It  is  a  historic 
picture. 

Probably  the  most  noteworthy  event  connected  with  the  political  life 
of  the  county  and  city  was  the  visit  in  September,  1858,  of  Senator 
Stephen  A.  Douglas  and  his  wife  as  they  were  on  their  way  to  the 
famous  Jonesboro  debate.  But  since  the  details  are  given  somewhat  in 
the  chapter  on  that  famous  debate  we  need  not  repeat  them  here. 

In  1811  a  steamboat  was  constructed  in  Pittsburg  and  put  in  charge 
of  Captain  Roosevelt  of  New  York.  The  boat  was  called  the  "New 
Orleans."  It  was  ordered  to  make  a  trip  from  Pittsburg  to  New  Orleans 
and  return  to  test  the  navigability  of  the  two  rivers.  It  reached  Cairo 
the  18th  of  December,  1811,  made  its  way  to  New  Orleans  and  returned 
to  Pittsburg. 

Gen.  Andrew  Jackson  was  in  Cairo  three  or  four  days  in  1813. 
Gen.  Zachary  Taylor  visited  Cairo  in  1849.  Gen.  Garfield  in  1868 ;  Gen. 
Grant  in  1880 ;  Jefferson  Davis  in  1881 ;  President  Roosevelt  in  1907 ; 
and  President  Taft  in  1909. 


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HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  431 

A  distinguished  guest  was  entertained  by  the  citizens  of  Cairo  on 
November  30  and  December  1  and  2,  1911.  It  was  none  less  than 
Alfred  Tennyson  Dickens,  son  of  Charles  Dickens  who  visited  in  St. 
Louis  in  1842,  and  who  spoke  slightingly  of  the  peninsula  and  the  rivers 
in  his  "Notes."  Mr.  Alfred  Tennyson  Dickens  was  entertained  in  the 
palatial  home  of  Mayor  George  Parsons.  A  reception  was  held  in  his 
honor  in  the  Alexander  Club  and  also  in  the  home  of  Mayor  Parsons. 
He  was  driven  over  parts  of  Alexander  county  and  Pulaski  county.  He 
said  the  hills  reminded  him  very  much  of  those  of  Scotland.  Mr. 
Dickens  died  suddenly  in  New  York  January  2,  1912. 

SOME  PROMINENT  MEN  OP  THE  COUNTY 

This  short  and  imperfect  sketch  of  Alexander  county,  and  its  chief 
city,  would  be  incomplete  indeed  if  the  names  of  some  of  her  noted 
men  were  omitted,  and  we  shall  therefore  append  a  few  of  the  many 
who  are  worthy: 

Wm.  Bird  who  settled  the  peninsula.  Dr.  Alexander  after  whom 
the  county  was  named.  John  G.  Comegys  who  purchased  all  the  penin- 
sula and  founded  the  city.  Darius  B.  Holbrook  headed  the  Cairo  City 
and  Canal  Company  organized  in  1837.  Judge  Miles  A.  Gilbert  who 
saved  the  property  of  the  Cairo  City  and  Canal  Company  after  the  finan- 
cial crash  of  1842.  Col.  S.  Staats  Taylor  rejuvenated  the  city  in  1854 
and  was  instrumental  in  beginning  the  future  Cairo.  Capt.  Wm.  P. 
Halliday  came  into  prominence  about  1860  in  the  financial  circles  of 
Cairo.  From  that  time  to  his  death  he  was  a  power  in  business  circles. 
Capt.  Halliday  had  four  brothers.  They  were  all  noted  in  business 
circles.  Mayor  George  Parsons  for  several  years  connected  with  the 
Cairo  City  Property,  and  mayor  of  the  city,  has  become  widely  known 
in  Southern  Illinois.  He  is  much  attached  to  the  highest  welfare  of  the 
city  of  the  Delta. 

THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  THEBES 

Within  recent  years  the  historic  town  of  Thebes  has  come  into  promi- 
nence. Just  a  few  miles  below  Thebes,  which  is  on  the  Mississippi  some 
six  miles  below  Cape  Girardeau,  there  are  some  old  French  grants  of 
land  made  probably  in  the  days  of  French  rule.  The  grants  fell  into 
the  hands  of  a  number  of  Americans  and  were  confirmed  to  them  in  1810 
by  congress.  These  early  settlers  had  a  "Station  Fort"  called  Mc- 
Elmurry's  Station.  This  is  probably  the  origin  of  Thebes.  The  court 
house  in  Thebes  still  stands.  In  April,  1905,  a  very  fine  bridge  of  the 
cantilever  construction  was  completed  across  the  Mississippi  and  rail- 
roads are  centering  here  from  both  Illinois  and  Missouri.  The  town 
has  grown  and  now  has  a  population  of  717. 

THE  VISIT  OP  THE  CONCORD 

The  recent  agitation  of  the  "Deep  Waterway"  project  has  called 
attention  to  the  question  of  the  navigability  of  the  Mississippi  river,  and 
to  put  at  rest  this  question  the  good  people  secured  the  visit  of  the  Con- 
cord, one  of  our  finest  cruisers.  In  the  accompanying  picture  the  ves- 
sel is  lying  in  the  Cairo  harbor.  The  Halliday  House  and  business 
blocks  may  be  seen  in  the  distance. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII 
BOND  COUNTY 

Two  NEIGHBORHOOD  FORTS  BUILT — THE  Cox  MASSACRE — SALT  WORKS — 
SLAVERY  ISSUE  IN  BOND  COUNTY — SCHOOLS — FARMS  AND  FINANCES. 

In  1817  the  territorial  legislature  passed  an  act  creating  the  county 
of  Bond.  Its  boundary  was  as  follows:  "Beginning  at  the  southwest 
corner  of  township  number  three  north  of  range  four  west :  thence  east 
to  the  southwest  corner  of  township  number  three  north  of  range  num- 
ber one  east,  to  the  third  principal  meridian  line;  thence  north  to  the 
boundary  line  of  the  territory;  thence  west  with  said  boundary  line  so 
far  that  a  south  line  will  pass  between  ranges  four  and  five  west ;  thence 
south  with  said  line  to  the  beginning. ' '  The  territory  so  bounded  should 
constitute  the  county  of  "Bond."  This  county  as  laid  off  above  in- 
cluded all  or  parts  of  Bond,  Montgomery,  Sangamon,  Logan,  Tazewell, 
Woodford,  Marshall,  Putnam,  Bureau,  Lee,  Ogle,  Winnebago,  and  Steph- 
enson  as  they  are  on  the  map  today. 

The  county  contains  388  square  miles,  and  has  a  population  of  17,075, 
a  gain  of  997  since  1900.  The  earliest  settlers  are  said  to  have  come  to 
the  county  as  early  as  1807. 

Two  NEIGHBORHOOD  FORTS  BUILT  (1811) 

It  is  certain  there  were  settlers  in  the  limits  of  the  county  as  it  is 
today  as  early  as  1811.  When  trouble  with  the  Indians  began  in  1811, 
Governor  Edwards  advised  the  building  of  family  or  neighborhood 
forts.  Governor  Reynolds  says  that  north  of  Bond  county  the  country 
was  infested  with  hostile  Indians.  Two  forts  were  built  in  Bond  county. 
One  called  Hill's  fort  was  built  eight  miles  southwest  of  Greenville  on 
the  farm  now  owned  by  John  0 'Byrne.  The  fort  covered  an  acre  of 
ground.  A  mile  and  a  half  south  of  Hill's  fort  was  Jones'  fort.  It  was 
built  in  the  summer  of  1811.  The  two  forts  were  constructed  of  palisade 
walls  with  block  houses,  bastions,  and  cabins  within.  Portholes  were 
made  and  the  whole  presented  a  formidable  appearance.  These  two  forts 
were  spacious  enough  to  accommodate  all  the  settlers  and  their  stock.  It 
is  said  there  was  not  a  piece  of  iron  in  the  form  of  nail  or  spike  in 
either  fort.  The  forts  stood  on  the  east  side  of  Shoal  creek  about  where 
the  Yandalia  line  crosses  that  creek.  The  old  settlers  used  to  tell  how 
the  Indians  would  come  from  the  north  and  hunt  and  fish  in  the  vicinity 
of  these  forts. 

THE  Cox  MASSACRE 

The  Cox  massacre  is  a  well  attested  fact  in  Bond  county  history. 
Probably  as  early  as  1809  or  1810  a  family  by  the  name  of  Cox  moved 

432 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  433 

from  about  Alton  and  settled  near  the  present  village  of  Pocahontas 
across  Shoal  creek  from  the  two  forts.  In  1811  the  family  was  building 
a  horse  mill.  On  June  2nd,  some  Pottawatomies  came  to  the  Cox  home 
finding  only  a  brother  and  sister  at  home.  It  was  reported  the  family 
had  money.  The  Indians  killed  the  brother  in  cold  blood,  taking  his 
heart  out  and  placing  it  on  his  head.  This  was  done  in  the  presence 
of  the  sister.  She  was  then  told  to  get  the  money.  She  gave  them  only 
a  part  of  the  money.  She  was  then  placed  on  a  horse  and  on  other 
stolen  horses  the  party  started  north.  Rebecca  Cox  was  a  sensible  young 
woman.  She  tore  her  apron  in  strips  and  dropped  the  strips  along  the 
trail.  When  the  family  returned  Hill's  fort  was  alarmed  and  Capt. 
James  Pruitt  and  some  settlers  started  in  pursuit.  The  Indians  were 
overtaken  north  of  where  Springfield  is  now.  The  young  woman  was 
recaptured  with  a  dangerous  tomahawk  wound  in  her  hip.  Rebecca  Cox 
recovered,  married,  moved  to  Arkansas  where  her  husband  was  massa- 
cred by  Indians.  Three  miles  north  of  Pocahontas  stands  a  monument 
erected  by  the  community  to  commemorate  the  death  of  young  Cox. 

In  1811  when  the  tension  was  high  in  Bond  county  for  fear  of  out- 
breaks and  secret  murders,  a  band  of  Indians  approached  Hill's  fort 
and  quietly  removing  the  mud  daubing  from  between  the  logs  in  the 
chimney  of  the  fireplace  inserted  a  gun  and  shot  a  man  sitting  before 
the  fire. 

SALT  WORKS 

In  the  original  survey  of  the  lands  in  the  Northwest  territory  all 
"salt  licks,  salt  springs  and  mill  sites"  were  marked  by  order  of  the 
congress.  On  Shoal  creek  which  flows  south  through  the  west  side  of 
Bond  county  signs  of  salt  were  discovered  and  marked  on  the  maps.  It 
is  not  known  how  early  the  manufacture  of  salt  began  there  but  the 
record  at  Washington  shows  that  Judge  Wm.  Biggs  was  a  lessee.  A 
letter  from  the  Rev.  Thomas  W.  Hynes  of  Greenville  to  the  author  dated 
January  19,  181)4,  contains  the  following:  "I  have  known  of  the  salt 
well  or  lick,  as  it  is  popularly  known,  ever  since  I  came  to  the  county 
now  nearly  sixty  years  ago.  It  is  near  the  south  side  of  the  N.  W.  qr. 
of  the  N.  E.  qr.  of  Section  32,  T.  6,  N.,  R.  4  W.  (the  old  works  were 
three  miles  north  of  Pocahontas).  The  first  well  was  so  near  the  chan- 
nel of  Shoal  creek  that  it  was  under  water  every  considerable  rise  of 
the  creek.  This  so  hindered  the  work  that  the  pioneers  dug  a  well  near 
by,  on  high  ground  and  used  that  instead.  It  was  curbed  with  wood 
and  they  used  the  common  well  buckets  to  draw  the  water.  There  was 
a  row  of  large  iron  kettles  (some  say  as  many  as  ninety)  placed  so  the 
largest  one  holding  100  gallons  was  near  the  well  so  the  salt  water  could 
be  emptied  into  it  from  the  well.  The  size  of  the  kettles  decreased  down 
the  row  toward  the  chimney.  Wood  fires  were  used.  As  the  water 
was  boiled  it  was  poured  from  the  larger  to  the  smaller  kettles  and  as 
the  brine  moved  away  from  the  well  it  became  thicker  and  thicker  until 
it  was  almost  dry  salt  when  it  was  removed  from  the  kettles.  The  salt 
was  then  sacked  and  marketed  much  of  it  being  carried  away  on  pack 
horses.  It  sold  for  several  dollars  per  bushel.  Several  of  the  old  iron 
kettles  are  still  in  use  in  this  county  among  the  farmers. ' ' 

In  addition  to  Judge  Biggs,  one  Montgomery,  Spencer,  John  Lee, 
James  Coyle  and  others  had  charge  of  the  works  from  time  to  time. 

Vol.  1—28 


434  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

John  Coyle  came  to  the  county  in  1817  and  settled  near  the  salt  works. 
His  son  Jeremiah  Coyle  was  born  there  April  4,  1822,  and  was  still  living 
in  1904.  The  tract  of  land,  80  acres,  on  which  the  salt  works  were  situ- 
ated was  owned  in  1904  by  Mr.  Hartman  Gruner. 

In  1816  there  were  said  to  have  been  not  over  twenty-five  log  cabins 
in  the  county,  and  these  were  grouped  in  a  few  neighborhoods.  George 
Davidson  is  said  to  have  built  the  first  house  in  Greenville.  It  was  a  log 
cabin  with  puncheon  floor,  clapboard  roof,  with  neither  nails  nor  glass. 
When  the  county  was  organized  the  county  seat  was  fixed  at  Perryville 
but  was  moved  to  Greencastle  about  1822.  The  court  house  in  Green- 
ville was  a  wooden  building  two  stories  high.  It  was  a  frame  building 
and  was  unfinished  in  1836. 

In  the  Missouri  Intelligencer  and  in  the  Illinois  Advertiser  of  Sep- 
tember 27,  1817,  appears  the  law  card  of  John  Taylor  and  James  H. 
Peck.  They  propose  to  practice  law  in  Missouri:  "Mr.  Taylor  will  at- 
tend to  business  in  the  counties  of  Bond,  Madison,  St.  Glair,  and  Harri- 
son in  Illinois  Territory." 

SLAVERY  ISSUE  IN  BOND  COUNTY 

In  1818  congress  passed  the  Enabling  act  by  which  Illinois  was  to 
come  into  the  union,  and  the  convention  which  framed  the  constitution 
was  held  in  Kaskaskia  in  August,  1818.  To  that  convention  Bond  county 
sent  two  delegates,  Thomas  Kilpatrick  and  Samuel  G.  Morse.  These 
men  took  an  active  part  in  the  work  of  the  convention.  In  the  campaign 
for  and  against  a  convention  in  1823  and  1824,  Bond  county  was  an  open 
battlefield.  It  was  so  close  to  the  home  of  Rev.  J.  M.  Peck  that  we  may 
be  sure  the  sentiment  of  the  people  was  largely  influenced  by  that  great 
champion  of  human  freedom.  When  the  vote  was  taken  the  vote  stood, 
for  slavery  63 ;  for  freedom  240 — four  to  one  for  freedom.  The  popu- 
lation of  Bond  county  in  1820  was  2,931.  Probably  one-third  of  this 
number  lived  in  the  territory  made  into  Montgomery  county  in  1821. 
In  that  case  the  vote  in  Bond  in  1824  was  a  very  full  vote. 

Bond  county  was  on  the  line  of  the  underground  railroad.  There 
were  three  crossing  places  of  the  Mississippi — one  at  Chester,  one  at 
Alton,  and  one  at  Quincy.  Those  runaways  who  crossed  at  Chester 
moved  northward  passing  through  Washington,  Clinton,  and  Bond  to 
Vandalia.  They  received  much  help  in  Bond  county.  The  Rev.  Robt. 
W.  Patterson  in  an  address  before  the  Chicago  Historical  Society,  in 
1880,  said  the  people  of  Bond  county  were  greatly  stirred  over  the 
slavery  question  before  William  Lloyd  Garrison  was  heard  of. 

The  prominent  names  in  Bond  county  in  the  forties  were  the  Waits, 
Blanchards,  Drs.  Perrine  and  Foster,  Newhall,  Russell,  Donnels,  Hugh 
McReynolds,  Laughlins,  Stewarts,  McCords,  Dixons,  Davises  and  Doug- 
lasses. But  no  name  is  more  vitally  connected  with  Bond  county  than 
that  of  the  Rev.  John  M.  Peck.  Mr.  Peck's  home  was  in  St.  Clair,  but 
he  knew  no  territorial  limits  to  bound  his  usefulness  in  the  New  West. 

SCHOOLS 

The  earliest  record  of  any  school  beyond  the  subscription  schools  is 
the  establishing  of  a  school  known  as  Amity  Academy  situated  at  Poca- 
hontas.  It  was  running  in  1854.  But  was  soon  discontinued  and  its 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  435 

work  was  taken  up  by  an  academy  founded  at  Greenville  in  1855  for 
young  ladies  only.  In  1857  this  school  was  chartered  as  Almira  College 
and  was  under  the  general  control  of  the  Baptists.  The  Hon.  James  P. 
Slade  was  president  of  the  college  during  a  portion  of  the  time  prior  to 
1892  when  it  was  sold  to  the  Free  Methodists  and  incorporated  as  Green- 
ville College.  Under  the  new  management  the  school  has  been  quite 
prosperous.  Eldon  G.  Burritt,  A.  M.,  is  president. 

The  public  schools  of  Greenville  were  organized  by  Prof.  Samuel  M. 
Inglis  who  had  from  1865  to  1868  conducted  an  academy  in  Hillsboro. 
Prof.  Inglis  remained  at  the  head  of  the  schools  of  Greenville  from 


GREENVILLE  COLLEGE,  GREENVILLE,  ILLINOIS 

1869  to  1883  when  he  was  elected  to  a  professorship  in  the  State  Normal 
at  Carbondale. 

The  present  county  superintendent  of  schools  is  H.  A.  Meyer.  The 
superintendent  of  the  city  schools  of  Greenville  is  S.  S.  Simpson. 

FARMS  AND  FINANCES 

Bond  county  has  1,958  farms,  an  increase  in  ten  years  of  50  farms; 
962  of  these  farms  contain  over  100  acres,  and  eight  of  them  over  1,000 
acres.  Eighty -nine  and  nine-tenths  of  the  area  of  the  county  is  in 
farm  lands. 

According  to  the  "Directory"  of  Illinois  and  Missouri  published  in 
1854-5,  there  was  not  a  bank  in  Bond  county  but  in  the  Bankers'  report 
for  1911,  the  county  is  reported  as  having  six  banks,  as  follows: 

Bradford  National  Bank,  Greenville. 

State  Bank  of  Hoiles  &  Son,  Greenville. 

First  National  Bank,  Mulberry  Grove. 

Bond  County  Bank,  Pocahontas. 

Bank  of  Sorento,  Sorento. 

Bank  of  Smithboro,  Smithboro. 

The  county's  resources  are  chiefly  agricultural,  only  two  coal  mines 
were  in  operation  as  reported  in  the  1911  report. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX 
CLARK  COUNTY 

FIRST  SETTLEMENTS — MARSHALL  AND  THE  NATURAL  ROAD — PROFESSIONAL 
MEN  OF  THE  COUNTY — AGRICULTURAL  AND  FINANCIAL. 

Clark  county  was  created  March  22,  1819.  The  county  was  named 
in  honor  of  George  Rogers  Clark.  It  has  at  present  an  area  of  493  square 
miles,  and  its  population  by  the  census  of  1910  was  23,517.  This  is  a  loss 
in  population  since  1900  of  516. 

FIRST  SETTLEMENTS 

The  first  settlements  were  along  the  Wabash.  When  the  county  was 
organized  Darwin,  a  group  of  not  more  than  a  dozen  or  so  of  log  huts, 
was  made  the  county  seat.  Darwin  is  on  the  Wabash  about  half  way 
from  north  to  south  in  the  county.  In  1837  Darwin  had  about  20 
families.  This  village  remained  the  seat  of  justice  till  1849  when  it  was 
moved  to  Marshall  about  twelve  miles  southwest  of  Terre  Haute. 

MARSHALL  AND  THE  NATIONAL  ROAD 

When  the  survey  for  the  National  Road  was  made  in  1829,  it  was  dis- 
covered that  the  highest  point  on  the  survey  between  the  state  line  and 
Vandalia  was  at  a  point  some  nine  miles  along  the  survey,  westward 
from  the  state  line.  The  attention  of  Gov.  Joseph  Duncan  and  Colonel 
Win.  B.  Archer  was  called  to  the  eligibility  of  this  high  ground  as  a 
site  for  a  town.  These  two  men  entered  the  land  from  the  government 
in  1833.  Two  years  later  Gov.  Duncan  sold  his  interest  to  Col.  Archer 
and  the  latter  proceeded  in  the  fall  of  1835  to  lay  off  a  town  which 
came  to  be  called  Marshall.  The  first  house,  a  log  cabin,  was  built  in 
the  fall  of  1835. 

In  the  forties  and  fifties  considerable  trade  was  carried  on  between 
the  region  of  Clark  county  and  Chicago.  Gov.  Reynolds  in  his  inau- 
gural message  in  183TF  urged  upon  the  legislature  the  establishment  of 
roads,  and  among  the  roads  he  suggested  was  one  from  Shawneetown  to 
Chicago.  Roads  were  early  laid  out  and  used  as  mail  routes  from 
Shawneetown  and  Equality  to  important  points  in  the  eastern  part  of 
the  state.  Among  these  roads  was  one  from  Shawneetown  to  the  mouth 
of  the  Little  Wabash  and  thence  to  Carmi,  Grayville,  Mt.  Carmel  and 
to  Lawrenceville  where  connection  was  made  with  the  road  from  St. 
Louis  to  Vincennes.  This  road  was  a  mail  route  as  early  as  1806,  and 
it  was  the  extension  of  this  road  to  Chicago  that  Gov.  Reynolds  urged 

436 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  437 

upon  the  legislature.  This  road  was  subsequently  opened,  and  passed  • 
from  Vincennes  to  Palestine  and  to  Marshall,  Paris,  Danville,  Iroquois, 
Crete  in  Will  county,  and  on  to  Chicago.  The  north  end  of  this  road 
was  a  mail  road  in  1832.  Now  by  1839  the  National  Road  was  in  use 
from  Terre  Haute  to  Vandalia,  and  Marshall,  being  at  the  crossing  of 
the  north  and  south  road  and  the  east  and  west  road,  soon  became  an 
important  center. 

It  is  said  that  the  town  of  Marshall  became  a  center  for  the  collec- 
tion of  the  products  of  the  region  and  also  a  distribution  point  for 
goods  from  Chicago  and  St.  Louis.  It  was  no  uncommon  thing  to  haul 
country  produce  such  as  lard,  meats,  beeswax,  honey,  fruits  and  vegeta- 
bles from  Marshall  to  Chicago  and  to  return  with  dry  goods  and 
groceries,  leather,  iron,  and  pottery  ware  for  distribution  from  Marshall. 

The  building  of  the  National  Road  from  Terre  Haute  to  Vandalia  was 
the  life  of  all  the  counties  it  passed  through  and  especially  was  Clark 
county  profited  by  this  enterprise.  The  county  was  well  timbered  in 
many  parts,  and  excellent  stone  was  found  along  the  line  of  the  road. 
Saw  mills  were  brought  in  and  much  lumber  produced.  Quarries  were 
opened  and  most  of  the  stone  used  in  the  abutments,  culverts,  and  bridges 
was  local  material. 

PROFESSIONAL  MEN  OP  THE  COUNTY 

In  1854  there  were  thirteen  lawyers  in  the  county,  these  were : 

Geo.  R.  Gibson,  Constable  and  Dulaney,  Chas.  H.  Constable,  Joshua 

B.  Cooper,  Robt.  L.  Dulaney,  Justin  Harlan,  J.  Newton  Harlan,  E.  S. 
Janney,   Uriah  Manley,  J.   C.  Robinson,  Timothy  R.  Young,  Nathan 
Willard.     These  were  all  located  in  Marshall  except  Mr.  Gibson  who 
was  at  Lodi.     Justin  Harlan  became  a  judge  of  wide  reputation;  was 
Indian  agent  under  Lincoln  and  held  other  positions  of  trust.    A  son  of 
Justin  Harlan,  James  Harlan  rose  to  great  prominence  in  the  United 
States.    He  was  the  father-in-law  of  Robt.  T.  Lincoln.    James  C.  Robin- 
son rose  to  considerable  prominence  as  a  Democratic  leader  in  this  state. 
He  was  the  Democratic  candidate  for  governor  in  1864.    He  was  a  well 
known  criminal  lawyer. 

There  was  a  carriage  factory  in  Martinsville  in  1854  operated  by  S. 

C.  Wilson.     In  the  same  year  there  were  six  ministers  stationed  in  the 
county:    Revs.  Dean  Andrews,  Congregational;  J.  Chapman,  Congrega- 
tional; James  Martin,  Methodist;  E.  Montgomery,  Methodist;  H.  Con- 
den,  Methodist ;  M.  Moore,  Methodist.    At  the  above  date  there  was  one 
dentist  in  the  county,  Dr.  W.  H.  Eidson,  who  had  an  office  in  Marshall. 
There  was  also  one  flour  mill  at  this  time  located  at  'Marshall  and  owned 
by  Payne  and  Overmyer.    There  were  four  hotels  or  public  inns  in  the 
county  in  1854.     The  "Clark  House"  kept  by  S.  Archer  in  Marshall. 
The  "Marshall  House,"  and  the  "Wright  House"  were  also  in  Marshall, 
the  former  kept  by  D.  Legare,  the  latter  by  J.  Wright.    Martinsville  had 
a  hotel  kept  by  W.  C.  Bane. 

AGRICULTURAL  AND  FINANCIAL 

Clark  county  is  preeminently  a  farming  county.  Ninety-five  and  a 
half  per  cent  of  the  land  of  the  county  is  in  "farms."  The  average  size 
of  the  three  thousand  and  twenty  farms  in  the  county  is  99.8  acres. 


438  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

There  is  a  loss  in  the  ten  years  between  1900  and  1910,  of  396  farms. 
The  business  and  financial  interests  of  the  county  are  abundantly  pro- 
vided for.  There  are  eleven  banks  in  the  county  with  a  capital  of 
$300,000 ;  and  with  deposits  of  $2,000,000. 

The  most  interesting  historical  feature  in  connection  with  the  county 
is  the  old  National  Road  which  has  been  described  in  connection  with 
another  subject  in  this  work. 


CHAPTER  XL 
CLAY  COUNTY 

MAYVILLE,  OLDEST  SETTLEMENT — COUNTY  SEAT  MOVED  TO  LOUISVILLE — 
BUSY  EARLY  DECADE  (1840-1850) — OHIO  AND  MISSISSIPPI  RAILROAD 
BUILT — FOUNDING  OP  CHURCHES — SETTLEMENT  IN  WESTERN  SEC- 
TIONS— PRESENT  VILLAGES  AND  TOWNS. 

Clay  county  was  organized  December  23,  1824.  This  county  was 
made  by  taking  parts  of  Wayne,  Fayette,  and  Crawford  as  then  existed. 
It  lies  directly  west  of  Lawrence  county.  Its  seat  of  justice  was  estab- 
lished at  Maysville  at  the  time  the  county  was  organized.  It  was  a  mile 
south  of  the  present  town  of  Clay  City.  It  remained  the  seat  of  justice 
till  1842  when  the  county  seat  was  moved  to  Louisville  which  is  almost 
exactly  in  the  center  of  the  county.  Old  Maysville  was  on  the  trail 
from  St.  Louis  to  Vincennes.  This  road  was  evidently  the  one  taken 
by  Clark  in  1779.  It  was  made  a  mail  route  in  1805.  The  road  from 
Vandalia  to  Mt.  Carmel  crossed  this  old  Vincennes  trail  at  Maysville. 

MAYSVILLE,  OLDEST  SETTLEMENT 

The  first  settlements  were  made  by  a  Mr.  McCauley  in  1809  at  the 
village  of  Maysville.  He  was  driven  out  and  returned  to  Kentucky  dur- 
ing the  Indian  wars  of  1811  to  1815.  He  returned  in  1818  or  1819.  By 
this  time  others  had  come,  among  them  a  Mr.  Elliott,  Wm.  Ingraham 
and  others.  James  Levett  settled  Levett's  Prairie  about  1825.  The 
Indians  were  removed  from  Clay  county  in  1828.  A  large  Indian 
village  stood  at  the  forks  of  Muddy,  and  the  burial  grounds  can  yet  be 
traced.  Settlements  were  made  at  Zenia,  Louisville,  and  in  the  southern 
part  in  the  years  from  1830  to  1835.  Among  the  early  names  were 
Ditter,  McKiiiney,  Campbell,  Heaton,  McKnight,  Cruins,  and  Maxwell. 
One  William  Lewis  had  a  pack  of  twenty  to  thirty  hounds  and  drove  out 
the  wolves  and  panthers  of  which  there  were  large  numbers.  M.  C. 
Mines  settled  in  the  forks  of  Muddy  and  Laws  creeks  and  practiced  medi- 
cine among  the  people. 

Wesley  Wood  built  a  saw  mill  and  grist  mill  combined  at  the  point 
where  Wetweather  creek  flows  into  Muddy  creek.  This  point  is  about 
eleven  miles  due  east  of  Louisville.  In  1842  Jacob  Shadle,  a  blacksmith 
and  gunsmith,  settled  in  the  present  Pixley  township.  He  was  for  a  long 
time  the  only  smith  in  the  county. 

COUNTY  SEAT  MOVED  TO  LOUISVILLE 

The  settlers  came  in  large  numbers  after  1840.  Settlements  grew 
and  in  1842  Louisville  became  the  county  seat.  Wm.  Brooks,  a  man 
of  means,  came  to  the  county  in  1842  and  settled  on  Levett's  Prairie 

439 


440  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

and  was  a  money  lender,  and  may  be  said  to  have  been  the  first  banker  in 
Clay  county. 

BUSY  EARLY  DECADE  (1840-1850) 

From  1840  to  1850  the  people  were  busy  opening  farms  and  build- 
ing  homes.  There  were  two  stores  in  the  county — one  at  Maysville  and 
one  at  Louisville.  The  staples  were  coffee  and  powder.  Peddlers  passed 
through  the  county  trading  simple  manufactures  for  country  produce, 
including  linen  which  the  good  women  spun  and  wove  from  flax  the 
farmers  had  raised.  The  peddlers  would  take  this  produce  to  St.  Louis, 
sell  out  and  return  with  another  supply  of  needful  things  for  the  farm- 
er's  wife. 

The  prairies  and  even  the  woodlands  produced  an  abundance  of 
prairie  grass.  This  was  put  up  as  hay,  and  of  course  pastured  in  the 
summer  time.  The  prairie  fires  are  said  to  have  been  very  destructive. 

The  matter  of  procuring  flour  and  meal  was  often  embarrassing  to 
the  early  settlers.  The  "wet  weather"  mills  were  unable  to  run  in  dry 
weather  and  then  farmers  had  to  go  to  the  Big  Wabash  for  their  grind- 
ing. To  remedy  this  defect  in  social  organization,  horse  mills  were  built 
here  and  there. 

OHIO  AND  MISSISSIPPI  RAILROAD  BUILT 

The  first  railroad  in  the  county  was  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  which 
was  built  through  the  county  between  1850  and  1854.  Three  stirring 
little  cities  have  grown  up  on  this  road  in  Clay  county — Clay  City, 
which  is  one  mile  north  of  Maysville,  Flora,  some  seven  miles  west  of 
Clay  City,  and  Zenia,  in  the  southwest  corner  of  the  county.  This  road 
stimulated  business  in  the  towns  and  the  agricultural  interests  as  well. 
Orman  Pixley  began  a  business  venture  where  Ingraham  postoffice  is 
now;  his  business  thrived  from  the  beginning.  He  received  and  for- 
warded the  mail  and  distributed  the  same  when  it  was  brought  from 
Louisville  or  Olney. 

FOUNDING   OP  CHURCHES 

On  the  first  Sunday  in  September,  1839,  the  Christian  church  was 
organized  at  the  forks  of  Muddy,  now  the  Christian  church  of  Ingraham. 
The  charter  members  were  William  and  Mary  Ingraham ;  William  and 
Patsy  Read;  Eli  and  Jane  Read;  John  and  Sarah  Rogers;  John  and 
Susan  Jones,  and  others.  The  preaching  was  done  by  Elders  Ingraham, 
Read,  Ballard,  Schooley,  Turner,  Meeks,  etc.  The  church  was  later 
moved  to  Ingraham,  and  it  is  said  by  the  historian  of  Clay  county,  Mr. 
Jacob  Shaclle,  that  from  the  Sunday  of  its  organization  to  1876  the  con- 
gregation never  missed  a  meeting  on  the  Lord's  day. 

The  Methodists  organized  a  church  at.  the  home  of  Benjamin  Ulm  on 
the  Two  Mile  Prairie  in  1843.  The  names  connected  with  this  church 
are  Ulm,  Lough,  Joy,  Dewhurst  and  others. 

The  Baptist  organized  a  church  at  the  home  of  Jacob  Toliver  on 
Union  Prairie  in  1843.  Two  preachers  by  the  name  of  Elkins  and  Blair 
were  instrumental  in  building  up  the  Baptist  congregation. 

This  sketch  has  been  taken  from  a  manuscript  history  of  the  "Eastern 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  441 

Half  of  Clay  County,"  written  by  Jacob  Shadle  in  1876.    He  settled  in 
Clay  county  in  1842  and  was  the  blacksmith  mentioned  above. 

SETTLEMENT  IN  WESTERN  SECTIONS 

The  western  half  of  the  county  had  many  things  in  common  with  the 
eastern  half.  Thomas  Elliott  settled  near  Flora  in  1818.  In  1822  he 
built  a  brick  house,  the  first  in  the  county,  probably.  Here  he  kept  tavern 
on  the  old  Vincennes-St.  Louis  road.  Schools  were  opened  about  1840  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  present  site  of  Flora.  The  old  settlers  would  make  one 
believe  that  all  kinds  of  wild  animals  infested  Clay  county. 

About  the  year  1820  George  Goble  came  from  Indiana  and  settled  not 
far  from  the  present  site  of  Louisville.  At  one  time  he  ran  a  grist  mill 
on  the  Little  Wabash.  The  Lewis'  family  came  to  the  vicinity  of  Louis- 


A  LARGE  TOBACCO  FIELD,  CLAY  COUNTY 

ville  about  1830.  Several  families  gathered  about  the  Little  Wabash  in 
the  vicinity  of  Louisville  and  flat-boating  came  to  be  a  thriving  business. 
These  were  built  and  sold  at  so  much  per  running  foot.  They  were  from 
sixty  to  seventy-five  feet  long  and  from  twelve  to  eighteen  feet  wide. 
They  were  used  to  transport  farm  products  to  New  Orleans. 

PRESENT  VILLAGES  AND  TOWNS 

The  county  is  well  supplied  with  villages  and  towns.  Naming  them  in 
the  order  of  size  they  are  Flora,  Clay  City,  Zenia,  Louisville,  Sailor 
Springs.  In  the  census  of  1910  cities  are  towns  of  over  2,500,  and  so  these 
are  called  towns  and  villages.  In  addition  to  the  above  there  are  the 
small  villages  of  lola,  Bible  Grove,  Ingraham,  and  Oskaloosa.  Flora  is 
quite  a  railroad  center,  being  the  crossing  of  the  B.  and  0.  S.  W.  and  a 
branch  of  the  same  running  from  Shawneetown  to  Springfield. 

The  natural  resources  of  the  county  are  somewhat  varied.  Excellent 
timber  has  been  found  in  this  county.  Building  stone,  both  sandstone 
and  limestone  are  found  in  limited  quantities.  Some  lime  is  burned  in 


442  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

the  county.  Pottery  clay  in  small  quantities  is  found  near  Flora.  The 
coal  report  for  1910  does  not  show  any  coal  mines  in  the  county.  The  soil 
is  light  and  not  considered  adapted  to  farming  on  a  large  scale.  All  the 
grains  are  raised  and  the  forage  foods  are  sufficient  for  the  stock  raised. 
Clay  county  is  noted  for  its  apples.  Some  years  ago  great  quantities  were 
shipped  out  of  this  county,  but  in  recent  years  there  have  been  seasons  of 
utter  failure. 

An  interesting  story  is  one  told  of  Sailor  Springs.  This  village  of  a 
few  hundred  people  is  five  and  a  half  miles  north  of  Clay  City.  In  an 
early  day  there  was  found  at  this  place  a  number  of  springs  with  very 
peculiar  water.  This  water  was  thought  to  be  the  cause  of  "milk-sick" 
and  so  the  stock  was  fenced  from  the  springs.  In  1869  Mrs.  Thomas  M. 
Sailor  of  Ohio  bought  the  land — four  hundred  acres — containing  the 
springs.  Mr.  Sailor  had  the  water  tested  and  found  it  contained  health- 
giving  properties.  Illuminating  gas  has  been  gathered  from  the  springs 
and  it  has  been  thought  it  could  be  made  of  real  value  about  the  hotels. 
Back  in  the  70  's  and  80  's  the  springs  were  liberally  patronized  as  a  sum- 
mer resort.  Two  big  hotels  with  fifty  rooms  each  were  often  crowded 
while  scores  and  perhaps  hundreds  lived  in  tents  upon  the  beautiful 
grounds.  In  recent  years  the  reputation  of  the  springs  has  somewhat  de- 
clined and  the  place  is  not  so  popular. 

There  are  ten  banks  in  the  county — two  in  Flora  and  two  in  Louis- 
ville. The  other  six  are  in  the  smaller  towns. 


CHAPTER  XLI 
CLINTON  COUNTZ 

CAKLYLE,  FIRST  SETTLEMENT  AND  COUNTY  SEAT — LAID  OUT  IN  1818 — 
CANDIDATE  FOR  STATE  CAPITAL — JUDGE  SIDNEY  BREESE — PRESENT 
CONDITIONS. 

This  county  was  named  in  honor  of  DeWitt  Clinton  who  was  governor 
of  New  York  and  made  himself  famous  by  fathering  the  Erie  canal. 
Clinton  county  was  created  by  act  of  the  general  assembly  on  December 
23,  1824.  It  has  for  neighbors,  on  the  east  Marion,  on  the  south  "Wash- 
ington, on  the  west  St.  Clair  and  Madison,  on  the  north  portions  of  Madi- 
son, Bond  and  Fayette.  The  Kaskaskia  river  flows  through  the  county 
from  the  northeast  to  the  southwest  and  forms  part  of  the  southern 
boundary.  It  is  a  picturesque  and  historic  stream.  Other  streams  are — 
in  the  west,  Sugar  creek,  to  the  east  of  that  stream  Shoal  creek,  further 
east  Beaver  creek,  then  Kaskaskia,  and  in  the  southeast  Lost  creek, 
Prairie  creek,  and  Crooked  creek.  These  streams  all  run  southward  and 
westward.  The  land  along  the  Kaskaskia  is  dotted  with  lakes,  many  of 
considerable  size.  Along  the  Kaskaskia  the  lands  are  heavily  timbered, 
and  in  other  parts  there  are  timbered  areas.  The  prairie  lands  are  rich 
and  loamy  while  the  uplands  that  are  timbered  are  somewhat  clayey. 

CARLYLE,  FIRST  SETTLEMENT  AND  COUNTY  SEAT 

The  first  settlers  located  on  the  Kaskaskia.  Carlyle  was  founded  as  a 
village  of  a  few  log  cabins  as  early  as  1817.  A  mail  route  from  St.  Louis 
via  the  sites  of  Belleville,  Carlyle,  to  Vincennes,  was  established  as  early 
as  1805.  Another  mail  route  from  Kaskaskia  to  Vandalia  passed  through 
the  site  of  Carlyle  in  1810. 

Another  road,  though  not  a  mail  route,  ran  from  Shawneetown  and 
Equality  to  McLeansboro,  Mt.  Vernon,  to  Carlyle.  At  the  outbreak  of 
the  War  of  1812,  a  block  house  was  built  somewhere  near  the  present  site 
of  Carlyle.  The  old  maps  show  it  on  the  river  some  three  or  four  miles 
below  the  present  city  of  Carlyle.  On  Rufus  Blanchard's  map  made  in 
1883  this  fort  is  called  Tourney's  fort.  But  others  say  Tourney's  fort 
was  near  the  present  village  of  Aviston  on  Shoal  creek  some  twelve  miles 
west  of  Carlyle. 

LAID  OUT  IN  1818 

When  Clinton  county  was  created,  Carlyle  was  made  the  county  seat 
and  has  remained  the  county  capital  from  that  day  to  this.  It  was  laid 

443 


444  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

out  as  a  village  or  town  in  1818.  It  was  platted  around  a  spacious  square 
in  which  is  now  a  beautiful  court  house.  The  ground,  twenty  acres,  was 
given  by  Charles  Slade  and  his  wife  Mary  D.  Slade.  The  deed  was  re- 
corded July  4th,  1824.  A  village  charter  was  granted  in  1837  and  an- 
other one  in  1865.  Boats  have  navigated  the  Kaskaskia  up  to  Carlyle. 
The  first  one,  about  1835,  was  called  ' '  the  Belleville. ' '  Little  use  is  now 
made  of  the  river  for  steamboat  navigation.  It  is  used  for  lumbering 
and  fishing  purposes  and  by  pleasure  parties.  There  is  a  very  fine  sus- 
pension bridge  across  the  Kaskaskia  at  Carlyle.  It  was  built  in  1860  by 
the  county  at  a  cost  of  $45,000.  It  has  a  span  of  two  hundred  and  eighty 
feet  swung  from  piers  seventy  feet  high.  It  is  a  unique  feature  to  stran- 


THE  SUSPENSION  BRIDGE  ACROSS  THE  KASKASKIA,  CARLYLE,  CLINTON 

COUNTY 

gers  who  drop  into  the  little  city  without  knowing  the  bridge  is  there. 
The  city  takes  its  name  from  Thomas  Carlyle,  the  British  essayist.  The 
first  settlers  were  English  people  through  Virginia. 

Carlyle  had  a  population  in  1910  of  1,982,  while  Breese  numbered 
2,128.  Other  towns  are  Aviston,  Boulder,  Germantown,  Huey,  Keysport, 
New  Baden,  Shattuc,  and  Trenton.  There  are  twenty  post  offices  in  the 
county. 

CANDIDATE  FOR  STATE  CAPITAL 

It  is  said  that  Carlyle  was  a  candidate  for  the  location  of  the  State 
Capital  in  1819.  The  constitution  of  1818  provided  that  at  the  first  session 
of  the  legislature  under  the  constitution  that  body  should  ask  congress 
for  a  grant  of  land  somewhere  on  the  Kaskaskia,  preferably  east  of  the 
third  principal  meridian,  for  the  location  of  the  state  capital.  Carlyle, 
which  had  been  recently  laid  off  or  at  least  settled,  was  a  candidate  for 
the  honor.  Nathaniel  Pope  had  some  land  above  Carlyle  on  the  river  and 
he  wished  to  have  the  capital  on  his  land.  It  is  said  that  while  the  loca- 
tion was  under  discussion  as  to  Pope's  Bluff  or  Carlyle,  a  hunter  by  the 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  445 

name  of  Reeves  happened  in  and  made  a  short  speech  and  captured  the 
location  for  his  laud  where  the  present  city  of  Vandalia  stands.  It  was 
known  as  Reeves'  Bluff. 

JUDGE  SIDNEY  BREESE 

Without  doubt  the  most  distinguished  citizen  Clinton  county  ever  had 
was  Judge  Sidney  Breese.  Judge  Breese  came  to  Kaskaskia  in  1818,  and 
studied  law  with  Elias  Kent  Kane.  He  acted  as  postmaster  at  Kaskaskia, 
and  was  a  clerk  or  assistant  in  the  office  of  the  secretary  of  state.  He 
drove  the  wagon  which  removed  the  archives  of  the  state  to  the  new  capi- 
tol,  Vandalia,  in  1820.  He  says  he  was  obliged  to  make  his  own  road  in 
some  places.  He  was  from  time  to  time  prosecuting  attorney,  United 
States  district  attorney,  supreme  court  reporter,  lieutenant  colonel  in  the 
Black  Hawk  war,  circuit  judge,  supreme  judge,  United  States  senator, 
and  later  supreme  judge  and  chief  justice  of  Illinois.  Judge  Breese  re- 
sided in  Carlyle  during  most  of  the  time  he  was  in  public  life.  Scarcely 
another  early  citizen  of  Illinois  was  held  in  such  high  esteem  as  was 
Judge  Sidney  Breese. 

The  first  newspaper  published  in  Clinton  county  was  the  Beacon.  It 
was  started  in  1843.  It  was  edited  by  George  B.  Price,  and  was  Whig  in 
politics.  It  suspended  after  a  short  time  and  was  then  revived  and  named 
the  Truth  Teller.  The  Truth  Teller  flourished  from  1844  to  1846,  when 
it  was  moved  to  Carrollton,  Greene  county,  and  became  the  Carrollton 
Gazette. 

PRESENT  CONDITIONS 

Clinton  county  has  22,832  inhabitants.  The  farming  population  is 
chiefly  native-born,  but  quite  largely  of  foreign  extraction.  In  the  cities 
and  towns  there  is  a  large  element  of  Germans.  Clinton  county  people 
are  very  thrifty.  This  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  they  have  fourteen  banks 
in  the  county.  This  is  an  average  of  one  bank  for  every  1,616  people. 


CHAPTER  XLII 
CRAWFORD  COUNTY 

LAMOTT,  FIRST  WHITE  RESIDENT — TERRIBLE  HUTSON  MASSACRE — PALES- 
TINE, THE  OLD  COUNTY  SEAT — ROBINSON  MADE  THE  COUNTY  SEAT — 
AGRICULTURE — COMING  OF  RAILROADS  AND  OIL — OBLONG — THE  OIL 
INDUSTRY. 

When  Crawford  county  was  created  by  action  of  the  territorial  legis- 
lature of  1816,  December  31st,  it  was  made  to  include  all  that  part  of  the 
state  east  of  the  third  principal  meridian  and  north  of  town  4  north. 
Today  Crawford  county  contains  four  hundred  and  fifty-three  square 
miles  and  is  bordered  on  the  east  by  the  Wabash,  north  by  Clark,  west 
by  Jasper,  and  south  by  Lawrence.  Its  population  is  26,281,  a  gain  of 
36.6  per  cent  over  the  population  of  1900. 

LAMOTT,  FIRST  WHITE  RESIDENT 

The  first  white  man  to  reside  in  the  county  was  a  Frenchman,  a 
trader,  whose  name  was  Lamott.  He  lived  at  the  mouth  of  Lamott  creek. 
Lamott  prairie  was  named  after  him.  He  was  located  on  the  Wabash  as 
early  as  1811,  how  much  earlier  is  not  known.  About  this  date  three 
families,  Boatright,  Eaton,  and  Cullom,  came  from  Tennessee  and  settled 
in  Lamott  prairie.  At  this  date  the  Indians  were  friendly,  but  as  a 
matter  of  safety  these  families  built  two  block  houses  on  the  west  side  of 
Lamott  prairie.  These  were  occupied  more  or  less  during  the  war  of 
1812. 

TERRIBLE  HUTSON  MASSACRE 

While  these  forts  were  in  process  of  construction,  the  builders  were 
agreeably  surprised  one  day  to  see  approaching  a  man,  his  wife,  and 
five  children.  It  was  Isaac  Hutson,  Senior,  just  arrived  from  Solon. 
Madison  county,  Ohio.  They  shared  the  protection  of  the  fort.  The 
forts  were  two  or  three  miles  south  of  the  present  village  of  Hutsonville 
and  directly  across  the  Wabash  from  Merom,  Indiana.  Here  Mr.  Hutson 
built  his  cabin  and  was  living  happily.  One  day  in  1812,  he  was  obliged 
to  go  across  the  Wabash  for  provision.  On  his  return  late  in  the  after- 
noon he  found  that  the  entire  family  had  been  massacred.  Among  the 
victims  was  a  young  babe  which  the  savages  had  thrown  into  a  kettle  of 
boiling  soap  which  hung  from  a  crane  over  the  wide-mouthed  fireplace. 
The  cabin  was  then  burned,  the  charred  remains  of  the  family  being 
found  in  the  ruins.  Mr.  Hutson  vowed  he  would  never  show  any  quarter 
to  an  Indian  so  long  as  he  lived.  In  company  with  neighbors  the  savages 
were  pursued  and  many  of  them  killed. 

446 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  447 

PALESTINE,  THE  OLD  COUNTY  SEAT 

When  the  war  of  1812  was  over  and  peace  was  restored  there  was  a 
great  influx  of  settlers,  coming  mostly  from  the  states  of  Carolina,  Ten- 
nessee, Virginia,  Kentucky  and  Ohio.  The  town  or  village  of  Palestine 
was  probably  settled  in  1816,  and  when  the  county  was  created  it  was 
made  the  county  seat.  It  is  six  and  a  half  miles  due  east  of  the  city  of 
Robinson,  the  present  county  seat,  and  a  mile  and  a  half  west  of  the  Wa- 
bash  river.  It  was  just  at  the  south  end  of  the  Lamott  prairie  which  was 
a  very  rich  farming  country.  The  mail  route  from  Shawneetown  north 
via  Carmi,  Graysville,  Mt.  Carmel,  Lawrenceville  to  Marshall,  passed 
through  Palestine.  It  was  also  close  to  the  river  and  that  fact  helped  its 
commerce.  It  grew  quite  rapidly  in  the  first  few  years.  In  1818  a  land 
office  was  located  at  Palestine,  and  late  in  that  year  the  president,  Mr. 
Monroe,  nominated  Phillip  Foulke  and  General  Guy  W.  Smith  as  receiver 
and  register  of  the  land  office  at  that  place.  Ninian  W.  Edwards  op- 
posed the  confirmation  of  Foulke  and  the  appointments  both  failed.  In 
the  constitutional  convention  of  1818  Joseph  Kitchell  and  Edward  Cul- 
lom  were  delegates  from  Crawford  county. 

One  of  the  first  entries  in  the  recorder's  office  was  a  certificate  of  free- 
dom presented  by  one  Abram  Camp,  an  immigrant  from  Battelora 
county,  Virginia.  This  gentleman  of  color  had  established  the  fact  that 
his  mother  was  a  Mohawk  Indian  and  the  Virginia  judge  had  entered  an 
order  establishing  his  freedom.  His  certificate  of  freedom  was  badly 
worn  having  been  obtained  in  Virginia  in  1786.  It  is  said  some  of  Abram 
Camp 's  descendants  still  live  where  he  settled  just  inside  the  north  line 
of  Lawrence  county. 

ROBINSON  MADE  THE  COUNTY  SEAT 

In  1844  the  town  of  Robinson,  more  nearly  in  the  center  of  the  county, 
was  made  the  county  seat.  This  was  a  death  blow  to  Palestine.  It  de- 
clined for  many  years.  In  1854  it  had  one  lawyer,  James  C.  Allen.  In 
1837  it  had  four  stores,  two  groceries,  three  taverns,  two  lawyers,  four 
physicians,  two  ministers  and  about  four  hundred  and  fifty  people. 

There  seems  to  have  been  no  bank  in  Robinson  in  1854,  and  only  two 
settled  preachers  in  that  year.  They  were  Rev.  Jacob  Reed  and  Rev. 
Nathan  Vance,  both  Methodists.  In  1849,  the  members  of  the  Presby- 
terian congregation  in  Palestine  under  the  leadership  of  Elder  James 
Eagleton  organized  a  Presbyterian  church  in  Robinson,  but  it  had  a  brief 
history.  In  1872  the  Rev.  Thomas  Spencer  and  Elder  Findley  Paull  re- 
organized the  Presbyterian  church  in  Robinson. 

SCHOOL  INTERESTS 

In  the  last  decade  there-  has  been  wonderful  progress  in  the  matter 
of  education  in  Southern  Illinois.  Public  sentiment  has  grown  and 
wherever  means  would  permit,  fine  school  buildings  have  been  built.  The 
returns  from  the  oil  industry  in  many  of  the  eastern  counties,  have  en- 
abled the  people  to  build  better  homes,  schools,  churches,  lift  the  mort- 
gages, and  do  many  other  desirable  things.  No  other  county  has  a  finer 
township  high  school  than  this  county.  The  school  is  located  at  Robin- 
son, and  is  under  the  direction  of  Prof.  Os^ar  J.  Marberry. 


448 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


AGRICULTURE 

This  county  was  comparatively  heavily  timbered.  The  prairie  lands 
are  in  larger  and  more  or  less  marked  areas.  There  are  three  large  areas 
that  are  prairies.  One,  the  Lamott  prairie,  another  just  west  of  Robinson 
running  from  northeast  to  southwest,  and  one  starting  at  Oblong  and 
running  northeast.  Those  lands  are  not  rich  like  the  black  prairies  in 
central  part  of  the  state  but  they  are  very  excellent  lands.  In  1909,  as 
shown  by  the  census  of  1910,  there  were  138,052  acres  in  potatoes  in  Illi- 
nois with  a  yield  of  12,166,091  bushels — an  average  of  ninety  bushels, 
nearly,  to  the  acre.  Crawford  county  had  an  acreage  of  11,864  with  a 
yield  of  916,051  bushels — an  average  of  seventy-seven  bushels,  nearly,  to 
the  acre.  This  county  had  eight  and  one-half  per  cent  of  the  acreage  of 
the  state  but  raised  only  seven  and  one-half  per  cent  of  the  total  bushels. 
There  is  another  phase  of  the  agricultural  report  in  the  census  of  1910. 


THE  ROBINSON  TOWNSHIP  HIGH  SCHOOL,  ROBINSON,  CRAWFORD  COUNTY 

Crawford  reports  under  heading  Wild,  Salt,  or  Prairie  Grasses  and  acre- 
age of  28,415,  and  a  tonnage  of  26.899,  the  total  acreage  for  the  state  be- 
ing 112,978  and  the  tonnage  128,531.  Large  areas  of  the  county  were  sub- 
ject to  overflows  and  to  lake  formations,  but  the  opening  of  the  farms  has 
drained  the  country  and  the  swamps  have  gradually  disappeared. 

COMING  OP  RAILROADS  AND  OIL 

There  was  slow  growth  in  population  in  the  county  prior  to  1905.  The 
coming  of  railroads  gave  an  impetus  to  the  towns  and  villages  through 
which  they  passed.  Oblong.  Robinson,  and  Palestine  grew  into  flour- 
ishing towns  in  the  latter  part  of  the  last  century,  but  the  discovery  of  oil 
in  this  county  has  revolutionized  every  phase  of  the  people's  life.  The 
population  has  grown,  new  business  enterprises  have  started  up,  and  the 
comforts  of  life  are  more  abundant. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


OBLONG 


449 


Oblong  is  a  thriving  city  of  1,482  inhabitants.  It  is  due  west  of  Rob- 
inson, nine  miles.  It  has  prospered  by  reason  of  the  oil  industry.  A 
large  share  of  the  credit  for  Oblong 's  business  activity  is  due  to  Mr.  J.  M. 
Sheets,  editor  of  the  Obtong  Oracle.  He  never  tires  of  working  in  the 
interest  of  his  city.  One  thing  for  which  the  township  is  noted  is  the 
interest  in  hard  roads.  The  township  has  now  about  twelve  miles  of  mac- 


A  GUSHER,  NEAR  ROBINSON,  CRAWFORD  COUNTY 

adam  road  and  is  building  more.  The  township  has  purchased  a  ten  ton 
steam  roller  at  a  cost  of  $2,500.  The  state  highway  commission  speaks  in 
terms  of  praise  of  the  roads  and  bridges  of  Oblong  township. 

The  county  has  eleven  banks :  one  each  at  Annapolis,  Flat  Rock,  Hut- 
sonville,  Stoy,  Oblong  has  two,  Palestine  two,  and  Robinson  three.  There 
are  no  coal  mines  in  Crawford  county,  and  outside  of  the  oil  industry  is 
an  agricultural  county. 

THE  OIL  INDUSTRY 

Since  the  discovery  of  oil  in  such  large  quantities  there  has  been  a 
large  oil  refinery  established  near  Stoy  some  three  or  four  miles  east  of 

Vol.  I— 20 


450 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


Oblong.  This  gives  work  to  numbers  of  people  and  creates  interest  in 
the  oil  field.  The  reports  show  a  considerable  decline  in  the  oil  produc- 
tion in  this  county.  The  production  for  1911  is  reported  at  18,000  barrels 
per  day  as  against  30,000  barrels  in  1910.  The  production  for  the  entire 


A  COMMON  SIGHT  IN  THE  OIL  TERRITORY 

state  for  1911  is  30,000,000  barrels  as  against  33,000,000  barrels  for  the 
year  1910.  It  is  reported  that  18,618  wells  have  been  bored  in  Illinois.  Of 
this  number  15  per  cent  are  barren.  There  are  some  misgivings  about  the 
oil  wells  keeping  up  the  standard  set  in  the  first  years  of  their  history. 


CHAPTER  XLIII 
CUMBERLAND  COUNTY 

COUNTY  SEAT  CHANGES — GENERAL  FACTS  OF  INTEREST — NEWSPAPERS — 
THE  NATIONAL  ROAD  AND  RAILROADS. 

Cumberland  county  was  created  by  act  of  the  general  assembly  on 
March  2,  1843.  It  was  made  from  the  south  end  of  Coles  county.  Its 
name  comes  from  the  old  "Cumberland"  road.  The  country  was  very 
well  settled  before  it  was  cut  off  from  Coles. 

COUNTY  SEAT  CHANGES 

The  first  county  seat  was  Greenup,  a  small  town  on  the  old  National 
Road,  somewhat  in  the  southeast  corner  of  the  county.  Here  the  county 
seat  remained  till  1855,  when  it  was  moved  to  a  newly  laid  out  town, 
Prairie  City,  which  afterward  came  to  be  called  Toledo. 

GENERAL'  FACTS  OF  INTEREST 

This  county  is  a  prairie  county  though  well  watered  by  the  Embarrass 
river  and  by  a  number  of  smaller  streams.  The  chief  interests  are  agri- 
cultural though  there  are  some  lines  of  manufacture  carried  on,  but  only 
on  smaller  scale.  The  county  is  one  of  the  smaller  counties  containing  353 
square  miles,  with  a  population  of  14,281  inhabitants.  The  larger  towns 
are  Greenup  with  a  population  of  1,224;  Neoga,  1,074;  Toledo,  900;  Jew- 
ett,  366.  There  are  other  small  villages.  There  are  ten  post  offices  in 
the  county.  In  addition  to  the  four  mentioned  above  there  are  Brad- 
bury, Hazeldell,  Janesville,  Johnstown,  Vevay  Park,  and  Woodberry. 

NEWSPAPERS 

The  first  newspaper  in  the  county  was  the  Greenup  Tribune  pub- 
lished in  1855,  and  continued  till  1857.  It  was  published  by  Daniel 
Marks  and  later  by  Templeton  and  Bloomfield.  The  paper  was  moved  to 
Prairie  City  in  1857.  The  Toledo  Democrat  dates  from  1859,  and  is  still 
published. 

THE  NATIONAL  ROAD  AND  RAILROADS 

When  the  National  Road  was  surveyed  in  1829,  it  ran  across  the  south- 
east corner  of  the  county.  At  a  point  thirty -seven  miles  west  from  the 
state  line  the  survey  ran  over  the  bluffs  just  east  of  the  Embarrass  river. 

451 


452  HISTOEY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

The  grade  of  the  road  drops  into  the  valley  of  the  river  and  rises  again  on 
the  west  side.  On  the  bluffs  east  of  the  river  the  town  of  Greenup  was  lo- 
cated. The  presence  of  rocks  is  marked  in  the  bluffs  about  Greenup. 
Some  three  miles  further  west  the  village  of  Jewett  grew  up,  and  two 
miles  further  the  road  crossed  Big  Muddy  creek  which  flows  into  the 
Embarrass  river  at  the  south  edge  of  the  county. 

The  county  has  two  railroads :  the  Vandalia  which  follows  the  line  of 
the  National  Road,  and  the  Peoria  Decatur  and  Evansville  which  passes 
through  the  county  from  the  northwest  to  the  southeast. 

The  coal  report  for  Illinois  gives  no  mines  in  operation  in  the  county 
in  1911.  There  are  nine  banks  in  the  county — one  for  every  1,586  people. 


CHAPTER  XLIV 
EDWARDS  COUNTY 

SETTLEMENT  OF  THE  ENGLISH  PRAIRIE — ALBION  FOUNDED — JUDGE  WAL- 
TER S.  MAYO PlANKASHAWTOWN AN  EARLY  TEACHER — THE  MANU- 
FACTURE OF  CLAY  PRODUCTS — INTERESTING  COUNTY  ITEMS. 

No  other  county  in  Southern  Illinois  has  a  more  interesting  history 
than  Edwards.  It  is  one  among  the  smallest  in  both  area  and  population 
— 238  square  miles  and  a  population  of  10,049.  It  was  created  by  the 
territorial  legislature  in  1814,  November  28th.  It  included  all  that  part 
of  the  state  east  of  the  third  principal  meridian  and  north  of  the  present 
counties  of  White  and  Hamilton.  It  was  named  in  honor  of  Ninian  Ed- 
wards who  was  the  territorial  governor  of  Illinois. 

The  present  limits  of  the  county  are  Wabash  county  on  the  east, 
White  on  the  south,  Wayne  on  the  west,  and  Richland  on  the  north. 
There  were  many  settlements  in  other  counties  that  were  eventually  made 
out  of  the  original  Edwards,  before  there  were  any  in  the  present  Ed- 
wards. 

SETTLEMENT  OF  THE  ENGLISH  PRAIRIE 

The  story  of  the  settlement  of  the  ' '  English  Prairie "  is  so  fascinat- 
ing that  there  is  difficulty  in  abridging  it.  The  town  of  Albion  was  set- 
tled in  the  summer  of  1817,  but  there  were  many  cabins  in  the  county  be- 
fore the  coming  of  Morris  Birkbeck.  Mr.  Birkbeck,  an  Englishman  of 
culture  and  means,  together  with  Mr.  George  Flower,  reached  what  is 
known  as  English  prairie  in  early  summer,  1817.  They  had  come  from 
the  Atlantic  coast  together  by  way  of  the  National  Road  over  the  moun- 
tains to  Pittsburg.  From  here  on  horseback  a  party  of  ten  or  twelve 
came  to  New  Harmony,  Indiana.  At  Princeton,  Indiana,  the  families  were 
left,  and  following  the  direction  of  Mr.  Thomas  Sloo,  who  at  that  time 
was  connected  with  the  land  office  at  Shawneetown,  the  two  pioneers, 
George  Flower  and  Morris  Birkbeck,  reached  English  Prairie.  At  that 
time  there  quite  a  few  settlers  on  Burke 's  Prairie  a  mile  or  so  west  of  the 
English  Prairie.  Also  on  Boltinghouse  Prairie  there  were  settlers.  After 
looking  out  a  place  for  their  future  home  they  returned  to  Princeton. 

Arrangements  were  now  made  for  Birkbeck  to  come  on  to  English 
Prairie  and  Flower  to  return  to  England.  All  the  money  that  could  be 
spared  was  put  into  land.  Before  Mr.  Flower  returned  to  England  in 
the  summer  of  1817,  he  wrote  to  Thomas  Jefferson  to  see  if  a  grant  of 
several  thousand  acres  of  land  could  be  obtained  from  congress  upon 
which  an  English  settlement  might  be  established.  Jefferson  and  Flower 

453 


454  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

were  good  friends.  Mr.  Jefferson  replied  that  such  grants  had  been 
made,  but  that  it  was  against  the  government's  policy.  Mr.  Birkbeck  also 
wrote  Mr.  Nathaniel  Pope  relative  to  the  same  matter,  but  Pope's  reply 
was  not  very  encouraging. 

ALBION  FOUNDED 

Sometime  in  July,  1817,  Mr.  Birkbeck  began  his  settlement  at  Albion. 
His  own  residence  'was  built  some  two  miles  west.  This  place  he  called 
Wanborough  from  his  old  home  in  England.  The  group  of  houses  which 
eventually  became  Albion  were  probably  scattered  about  over  the  prairie 
without  order,  for  Elias  Pym  Fordham,  a  civil  engineer  who  had  learned 
his  trade  under  the  tutorage  of  George  Stephenson  in  England,  wrote 
from  the  English  Prairie  October  30,  1818,  and  says:  "I  am  laying  off  a 
new  town  to  be  called  Albion.  It  will  contain  eight  streets  and  a  public 
square.  Most  likely  it  will  be  the  county  town,  and  if  so  there  will  be  a 
court  house  and  a  gaol." 

Mr.  George  Flower  built  his  home,  "Park  House,"  just  south  of  the 
town  site  of  Albion.  English  people  began  coming  to  the  locality  and  by 
1820  there  were  scores  of  settlers  about  the  edges  of  the  prairies. 

In  1823  to  1824  a  fierce  struggle  was  going  on  in  Illinois  over  the 
change  in  the  constitution  to  admit  slavery.  Morris  Birkbeck  and  the 
Flowers  took  an  active  part  in  the  defeat  of  the  slavery  movement.  Birk- 
beck wrote  letters  signed  "Jonathan  Freeman,"  which  were  published  in 
the  papers  of  that  day.  In  1825  Gov.  Coles  appointed  Birkbeck  secretary 
of  state  but  a  pro-slavery  senate  refused  to  ratify  the  appointment  and 
Mr.  Birkbeck  gave  up  the  office  after  serving  three  months.  In  the  fall 
of  1825  Mr.  Birkbeck  was  drowned  in  the  Bon  Pas  river  and  following 
this  event  his  family  dispersed  and  none  of  them  was  left  in  the  English 
settlement. 

JUDGE  WALTER  L.  MAYO 

Another  very  interesting  person  in  connection  with  the  story  of  Ed- 
wards county  was  Judge  Walter  L.  Mayo,  the  son  of  a  Virginia  planter, 
who  arrived  in  Edwards  county  in  the  year  1828  and  took  up  his  abode  in 
the  family  of  County  Commissioner  Jones,  a  few  miles  southwest  of  Al- 
bion. He  was  employed  to  teach  school,  and  between  times  obligingly  as- 
sisted Mr.  Jones  in  making  some  perplexing  calculations  for  the  county. 
Mayo's  skill  as  a  mathematician  and  man  of  business  soon  became  gener- 
ally known,  and  when  a  vacancy  occurred  in  the  office  of  county  clerk  he 
was  elected  to  that  office.  Upon  the  outbreak  of  the  Black  Hawk  war  in 
1831  the  young  clerk  quit  his  office  and  went  to  the  front  where  as 
quartermaster  his  abilities  as  a  man  of  business  were  quickly  recognized. 
When  the  disturbance  was  quelled  he  returned  to  his  duties  as  county 
clerk.  He  so  satisfactorily  straightened  out  the  tangled  affairs  of  the 
county  that  the  appreciative  voters  kept  him  continuously  in  office  thirty- 
eight  years.  He  also  during  that  period  filled  the  office  of  circuit  clerk 
and  county  judge  simultaneously.  Moreover,  he  acted  as  legal  adviser 
for  the  people  of  the  entire  county,  rendering  his  service  gratuitously, 
and  thus  as  a  rule  was  able  to  settle  disputes  without  litigation.  In  his 
latter  years,  while  still  a  citizen  of  the  county,  he  was  elected  a  mem- 
ber of  the  state  legislature.  In  the  year  1878,  while  a  member  of  the  law- 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  455 

making  body,  his  family  removed  to  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  where  a  son- 
in-law,  Major  Hopkins,  was  warden  of  the  federal  penitentiary.  Upon 
the  completion  of  his  term  of  office  Mr.  Mayo  joined  his  family  in  Leaven- 
worth,  yet  he  continued  to  regard  himself  as  only  a  sojourner  in  Kansas 
and  spoke  only  of  Albion  as  home.  Having  by  judicious  management 
and  habits  of  economy  amassed  a  competence,  largely  invested  in  the 
First  National  Bank  of  Olney,  of  which  institution  he  was  a  director,  he 
felt  that  he  was  in  position  to  take  his  well  earned  ease  and  to  provide  lib- 
erally for  his  family.  On  the  17th  day  of  January,  1878,  Walter  L.  Mayo 
left  Leavenworth  for  Olney,  Illinois,  whither  he  intended  going  to  at- 
tend a  meeting  of  bank  directors.  This  ends  the  last  known  event  in 
the  life  of  Walter  L.  Mayo,  the  man  who  in  so  great  a  measure  made  Ed- 
wards county  what  it  is.  He  was  known  to  have  gone  as  far  as  St.  Louis 
and  entered  a  coach  for  Olney  on  the  0.  &  M.  railroad.  His  valise  and 
e#ne  went  on  through  to  Cincinnati,  but  what  became  of  their  owner  has 
continued  until  this  day  an  unsolved  mystery.  His  brother-in-law,  Gen- 
eral John  M.  Palmer,  at  one  time  believed  Mayo  had  gone  to  some  foreign 
country ;  but  this  theory  was  long  ago  abandoned.  His  heart-broken  wife 
spent  the  family  fortune  vainly  endeavoring  to  solve  the  mystery.  Only 
enough  was  learned  to  make  it  reasonably  sure  that  Walter  L.  Mayo  was 
either  murdered  in  cold  blood  and  the  body  destroyed  or  that  he  was  kid- 
napped and  forever  spirited  away.  A  great  crime  was  committed  and 
some  of  the  guilty  ones,  now  dead,  are  known.  His  disappearance  was 
the  occasion  of  general  gloom  and  mourning  in  Edwards  county  which 
found  expression  in  the  holding  of  mass  meetings  at  which  resolutions  of 
a  highly  eulogistic  nature  were  adopted. 

PlANKASHAWTOWN 

Probably  the  only  Indian  town  of  importance  that  ever  existed  in  Ed- 
wards county  was  Piankashawtown,  located  as  shown  by  the  government 
survey  of  1809  on  section  16,  town  one  south,  range  ten  east,  about  five 
miles  northwest  of  the  present  city  of  Albion.  It  was  located  immedi- 
ately on  the  old  transcontinental  buffalo  trail,  that  historic  highway  pass- 
ing through  and  connecting  Vincennes,  Kaskaskia  and  St.  Louis.  We 
have  the  testimony  of  the  earliest  settlers  that  Piankashawtown  was  a 
village  of  considerable  importance  as  late  as  1815,  about  which  time  the 
Piankashaw  Indians  were  removed  thirty  or  forty  miles  to  the  north. 
Many  implements,  guns  and  weapons  have  been  plowed  up  by  the 
farmers;  and  even  now  one  can  trace  for  considerable  distance  the  old 
deep-cut  trail  where  buffalo,  Indian,  explorer,  priest,  trader  and  sol- 
dier tramped  for  successive  generations. 

AN  EARLY  TEACHER 

In  the  year  1823  Joseph  Applegath  and  wife  arrived  at  the  English 
settlement  in  Edwards  county.  Mr.  Applegath  came  from  London  where 
he  was  widely  known  as  a  bookseller.  He  was  also  a  successful  inventor, 
being  the  senior  member  of  the  firm  of  Applegath  &  Cowper,  inventors 
and  manufacturers  of  a  printing  press  in  use  for  many  years  in  the  of- 
fice of  the  London  Times.  Mr.  Applegath  was  a  gentleman  of  splendid 
education  for  one  of  his  time  and  was  especially  proficient  in  the  sciences. 
His  greatest  delight  was  in  doing  good  to  others.  It  was  his  practice  to 


456  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

gather  the  young  people  of  the  community  together  at  Albion  and  by 
means  of  illustrated  lectures  to  instruct  them  in  natural  history,  phil- 
osophy, chemistry,  and  kindred  subjects,  charging  nothing  for  his  serv- 
ices. Mrs.  Applegath,  who  an  artist  of  no  mean  skill,  provided  many 
beautiful  and  artistic  paintings,  drawings  and  sketches  which  were  ex- 
hibited and  explained  for  the  benefit  of  the  classes.  She  was  particularly 
skilled  in  the  painting  of  birds,  animals  and  flowers.  Some  of  these  lec- 
tures were  given  on  Sundays ;  and  it  is  possibly  only  the  truth  to  say  that 
they  were  the  first  Sunday-schools  ever  held  in  Illinois,  or  at  least  in  the 
English-speaking  communities. 

It  was  in  no  small  measure  due  to  the  efforts  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Apple- 
gath that  the  people  of  Albion  and  Edwards  county  came  to  be  ranked 
high  in  the  scale  of  intelligence  and  high  moral  qualities. 

In  his  latter  days  when  the  infirmities  of  old  age  crept  upon  him  Mr. 
Applegath  expended  much  time  and  labor  in  the  impossible  attempt  to 
construct  a  perpetual  motion,  and  died  leaving  a  room  full  of  ingenious 
models. 

AN  EARLY  CIVIL  ENGINEER 

It  may  be  a  fact  worth  noting  that  when  Elias  Pym  Fordham  began 
his  survey  for  Morris  Birkbeck  of  the  lands  around  old  Wanborough  in 
the  English  prairies  he  used  a  grape  vine  instead  of  a  regulation  chain. 
This  grape  vine  survey  has  withstood  the  test  of  time,  and  it  is  doubted 
not  that  Fordham 's  grape  vine  corners  will  never  be  successfully  chal- 
lenged. There  is  no  known  evidence  to  show  that  this  early  English  set- 
tlement civil  engineer  even  obtained  a  metal  chain  before  beginning  his 
survey  and  plat  of  the  present  city  of  Albion.  After  his  return  to  Eng- 
land, Fordham  became  one  of  the  most  famous  engineers  of  the  British 
Isles,  and  he  was  by  favor  of  royalty  intrusted  with  some  of  the  most  gi- 
gantic engineering  works  of  that  time. 

THE  MANUFACTURE  OP  CLAY  PRODUCTS 

There  are  found  in  the  hills  round  about  Albion  and  elsewhere  in  Ed- 
wards county  some  of  the  most  valuable  shale  beds  known  in  this  coun- 
try ;  valuable  not  only  because  of  their  perfect  adaptability  to  the  manu- 
facture of  paving  and  building  brick,  sewer  pipe,  drain  tile,  roofing  tile 
and  terra  cotta,  but  more  especially  because  of  their  perfect  accessibility 
and  freedom  from  worthless  over-lying  strata.  The  manufacture  of  shale 
products  at  Albion,  begun  in  1903,  has  grown  to  respectable  proportions. 
The  Albion  Vitrified  Brick  Company  now  has  an  annual  output  of  about 
7,000,000  ten-pound  blocks  which  meet  with  a  ready  sale  at  the  highest 
price,  in  all  the  surrounding  territory.  A  new  organization,  the  Albion 
Shale  Brick  Company,  with  a  capital  of  $200,000,  is  erecting  a  new  plant 
to  be  fully  equipped  with  all  modern  and  labor-saving  appliances  for  a 
daily  output  of  100,000  ten-pound  paving  blocks.  The  Illinois  Tile  Com- 
pany, also  located  at  Albion,  is  a  new  company  whose  plant  is  equipped 
with  machinery  capable  of  producing  25,000  drain  tile  a  day.  At  West 
Salem,  the  second  city  of  importance  in  Edwards  county,  the  Hollow 
Brick  and  Tile  Company  is  building  a  $50,000  plant  for  the  manufacture 
of  hollow  building  brick  and  drain  tile.  These,  together  with  flouring 
mills,  saw  mills,  and  creameries  constitute  the  chief  manufacturing  indus- 
tries of  Edwards  county. 


HISTOEY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  457 

INTERESTING  COUNTY  ITEMS 

Many  interesting  things  might  be  said  about  the  life  of  the  Edwards 
county  people,  Morris  Birkbeck,  George  Flower  and  others  of  the  early 
people  were  university  men.  George  Flower  was  an  artist  of  no  mean 
ability  and  Park  House  which  was  the  finest  house  west  of  the  Allegha- 
nies  at  that  time  was  a  place  of  great  culture  and  hospitality.  It  is 
indeed  a  great  loss  that  such  a  homestead  could  not  have  been  preserved 
to  the  present  and  future  generations. 

The  circuit  court  seldom  is  in  session  more  than  three  or  four  days, 
and  a  recent  report  shows  no  representative  in  the  penitentiary  from  that 
county.  Schools  and  churches  flourish  and  sobriety  and  industry  are  the 
characteristics  of  the  people. 

In  the  Graceland  cemetery  in  Albion  a  lot  has  been  set  aside  for  the 
erection  of  a  monument  to  the  memory  of  the  soldiers  and  sailors  of  Ed- 
wards county.  On  this  lot  has  been  placed  a  five  ton  cannon  beside  a 
pyramid  of  one  hundred  pound  cannon  balls.  A  like  testimonial  has  been 
erected  in  the  public  square  in  West  Salem. 

The  public  spirited  people  of  the  county  are  now  even  thinking  of  and 
laying  plans  for  the  centennial  celebration  of  the  settlement  of  Edwards 
county. 


CHAPTER  XLV 
EFFINGHAM  COUNTY 

EWINGTON,  FIRST  COUNTY  SEAT — PRESENT  SEAT  OF  JUSTICE — TEUTOP- 

OLIS — LAND  VALUES 

This  county  was  created  in  1831,  February  15,  from  the  east  side  of 
Fayette.  It  was  not  organized  till  1833.  The  county  was  named  after 
Lord  Edward  Effingham,  who  in  1775  resigned  his  position  in  the  British 
army  rather  than  fight  against  the  American  colonies.  By  the  census  of 
1910  the  population  is  20,055;  the  area  is  511  square  miles.  The  central 
part  of  the  county  is  drained  by  the  Little  Wabash  and  its  branches. 
This  stream  flows  south  into  Clay  county  and  numerous  branches  flow 
into  it  from  both  east  and  west.  The  county's  topography  resembles  a 
basin  somewhat — the  highest  parts  being  the  east,  north  and  west.  It  is 
considered  a  prairie  county,  though  the  territory  adjacent  to  the  larger 
streams  is  well  timbered. 

EWINGTON,  FIRST  COUNTY  SEAT 

The  county  seat  was  first  placed  at  Ewington  where  it  remained  till 
1860.  Ewington  was  a  town  that  had  grown  up  on  the  old  National  road. 
It  is  some  three  miles  west  of  Effingham,  and  twenty -nine  miles  eastward 
from  Vandalia.  In  1837  it  was  merely  a  village  and  in  the  census  of 
1910  is  not  separated  from  the  township  in  the  census  report. 

The  first  county  commissioners  were  T.  M.  Short,  I.  Fanchen,  and  Wil- 
liam I.  Hawkins.  The  first  jail  was  built  in  1833  by  L.  Jordan  and  James 
Neal.  John  Coventry  secured  a  license  to  keep  a  tavern  and  sell  spirit- 
uous liquors  on  payment  of  five  dollars. 

When  the  Illinois  Central  railroad  was  surveyed,  the  line  ran  almost 
north  and  south  through  the  county,  crossing  the  National  road  at  the 
present  site  of  Effingham.  In  1856  the  St.  Louis,  Alton  and  Terre  Haute 
railroad  was  completed  from  Terre  Haute  to  Alton.  This  road  now 
known  as  the  Vandalia  follows  very  closely  the  old  National  road.  This 
accounts  for  the  advantage  of  Effingham  over  Ewington  as  a  county 
seat.  The  seat  of  justice  was  therefore  changed  in  1860  from  Ewington 
to  Effingham. 

PRESENT  SEAT  OF  JUSTICE 

Effingham  is  now  a  city  of  3,898  people.  It  is  a  thriving  business 
place  in  trade  and  in  other  ways.  There  are  three  railroads  crossing  at 
this  place — the  Illinois  Central,  the  Vandalia.  and  the  Indiana,  Illinois 
and  Southern ;  and  in  addition  the  old  National  road. 

458 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


459 


ILLINOIS  COLLEGE  OF  PHOTOGRAPHY 

One  of  the  most  interesting  phases  of  business  is  the  ' '  Illinois  College 
of  Photography."  This  school  was  founded  by  L.  H.  Bissell  and  has  had 
a  prosperous  career.  It  prepares  young  people  for  artistic  work  in  the 
line  of  photography.  The  school  is  based  on  the  most  approved  scientific 
principles.  Its  graduates  have  gone  into  all  the  states  of  the  union,  and 
the  school  has  a  widespread  influence  in  this  art.  There  was  for  several 
years  a  photo-engraving  company  located  in  this  city  but  in  recent  years 
the  company  has  moved  its  plant  to  Champaign. 

Effingham  county  is  well  supplied  with  banks,  there  being  fourteen  in 
the  county,  two  in  Altamont,  two  in  Edgewood,  two  in  Effingham,  two  in 


VANDALIA  RAILROAD.    CONCRETE  BRIDGE  OVER  SALT  CREEK,  EAST  OP 
EFFINGHAM  ON  LINE  OF  OLD  NATIONAL  ROAD 

Shumway  and  one  each  in  Beecher  City,  Deiterich,  Mason,  Montrose, 
Teutopolis  and  Watson. 

TEUTOPOLIS 

The  village  of  Teutopolis  was  settled  by  a  colony  of  Germans  from 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  the  community  is  prosperous  though  the  soil  is  not 
very  productive.  The  village  of  Teutopolis  is  noted  as  the  seat  of  a  suc- 
cessful Catholic  college. 

LAND  VALUES 

The  average  value  of  land  for  the  county  is  $43.70  whereas  the  aver- 
age value  of  land  in  the  state  as  a  whole  is  $95.02. 

There  is  no  coal  in  this  county  according  to  the  coal  report  of  1911. 

The  increase  in  the  value  of  farm  property  from  1900  to  1910  was  from 
$8.311,778  to  $16,953,704,  an  increase  of  one  hundred  and  four  per  cent. 
While  in  the  state  as  a  whole  the  per  cent  of  increase  was  94.8.  The  in- 


460  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

crease  in  the  average  value  of  land  in  the  past  ten  years  is  very  marked. 
In  1900  the  average  for  this  county  was  $19.47.  In  1910  the  average 
value  is  $43.70. 

There  are  eighteen  post  offices  in  the  county  located  at  Altamont, 
Beecher  City,  Bluepoint,  Dexter,  Deiterich,  Eberle,  Edgewood,  Effing- 
ham,  Elliottstown,  Hill,  Mason,  Moccasin,  Montrose,  Shumway,  Teutopo- 
lis,  Watson,  Welton,  Winterrowd. 


CHAPTER  XL VI 
PAYETTE  COUNTY 

FIRST  SETTLERS  OF  THE  COUNTY — FIRST  CAPITOL  AT  VANDALIA — SECOND 
CAPITOL — PERRYVILLE,  SEAT  OF  FAYETTE  COUNTY — ERNEST,  OR  HAN- 
OVER COLONY — FAYETTE  AND  VANDALIA  ITEMS. 

By  the  Enabling  Act,  the  capital  of  Illinois  was  Kaskaskia  until  such 
time  as  the  legislature  should  relocate  it.  In  the  first  session  of  that  body 
in  Kaskaskia  steps  were  taken  to  remove  the  seat  of  government.  The 
United  States  government  was  asked  to  grant  four  sections  of  la,nd  for 
the  benefit  of  the  state  in  locating,  building  and  putting  the  new  capital 
on  its  feet.  The  point  selected  was  the  present  site  of  Vandalia.  The 
Enabling  Act  provided  that  the  capital  when  relocated  should  remain 
where  located  for  twenty  years.  When  the  four  square  miles  had  been 
selected  the  next  thing  was  to  lay  off  the  town.  This  was  done  and  lots 
offered  for  sale.  The  lots  were  sold  at  public  auction  bringing  from  one 
hundred  dollars  to  seven  hundred  and  eighty  dollars  each.  The  total 
amount  received  from  the  sale  of  lots  was  $35,234. 

FIRST  SETTLERS  IN  THE  COUNTY 

The  first  settlers  within  the  limits  of  what  is  now  Fayette  county  was 
a  family  by  the  name  of  Beck.  The  head  of  the  family,  Guy  Beck,  first 
came  to  Cahokia  in  1809  from  Kentucky.  Here  he  remained  till  1814 
when  he  removed  to  section  9,  township  8,  range  2  east.  Here  he  built  a 
cabin.  The  place  is  about  thirteen  miles  up  the  Kaskaskia  river  from 
Vandalia.  A  creek  flows  into  the  Kaskaskia  river  there  which  is  called 
Beck's  creek.  His  father  and  four  brothers  came  to  this  new  settlement 
in  1818.  Guy  Beck  was  a  blacksmith  and  gunsmith  and  was  therefore  a 
very  valuable  man  in  that  region. 

Valentine  Brazil  and  Hiram  Higgins  settled  on  section  34,  township 
8,  range  1  east  in  1816.  The  Haleys  came  in  1818-19.  Other  early  set- 
tlers were  the  Lesters,  Beals,  Wakefields,  Thompsons,  Lees,  and  William 
Padousen. 

FIRST  CAPITOL  AT  VANDALIA 

When  the  legislature  decided  to  move  the  capital  up  the  Kaskaskia 
and  the  commissioners  finally  selected  Reeve's  Bluff  as  the  site,  there  was 
a  rush  of  settlers  to  the  region  of  the  new  capital.  This  left  a  wide  un- 
settled space  between  the  northern  edge  of  the  permanent  settlements 
eastward  from  Alton  and  Edwardsville,  and  the  new  settlements  about 
Vandalia. 

461 


462 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


The  commissioners  to  locate  and  erect  the  new  capitol  building  soon 
performed  their  duty.  The  town  was  surveyed  and  laid  off  in  large 
blocks  with  wide  streets — eighty  feet.  The  first  capitol  was  a  log  house 
of  two  rooms  located  on  Fifth  street,  one  block  south  of  Gallatin  street. 

The  first  session  to  be  held  in  this  new  capitol  assembled  in  December, 
1820.  During  this  session  the  structure  burned  and  the  legislature  was 
forced  to  meet  in  private  houses.  The  senate  met  in  a  Mr.  Brown's  house, 
and  the  House  of  Representatives  met  in  the  home  of  Colonel  R.  K.  Mc- 
Laughlin. 

SECOND  CAPITOL 

The  second  capitol  was  a  small  brick  built  on  the  site  of  the  log  cap- 
itol. This  served  as  the  state  house  till  about  1834  or  1835  when  a  very 


THE  OLD  STATE  CAPITOL  AT  VANDALIA.    Now  THE  FAYETTE  COUNTY 

COURT  HOUSE 

commodious  brick  building,  the  present  Fayette  county  court  house,  was 
built  by  the  citizens  in  the  hope  of  holding  the  capital  in  Vandalia. 

The  state  set  aside  certain  lots  for  church  purposes  and  for  a  ceme- 
tery. 

Prominent  among  the  early  comers  to  Vandalia  was  one  Ferdinand 
Ernest  who  was  on  the  ground  when  the  auction  of  lots  took  place.  Mr. 
Ernest  was  from  Hanover,  Germany,  and  was  looking  up  a  suitable 
place  for  the  settlement  of  a  small  colony  by  his  countrymen.  He  bought 
some  lots  in  the  new  city  and  built  a  store  room.  He  also  secured  land 
for  his  colony  which  came  a  year  or  so  later. 

PERRYVILLE,  SEAT  OF  FAYETTE  COUNTY 

When  the  capital  was  moved  to  Vandalia  in  1820,  the  site  was  in 
Crawford  county.  In  1821,  February  14,  the  county  of  Fayette  was 
created  and  the  county  seat  fixed  at  Perryville  which  had  served  as  the 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  463 

county  seat  of  Bond  which  was  organized  in  1816.  This  old  town  of 
Perryville  was  in  the  present  Seminary  township  some  seven  miles  down 
the  river  from  Vandalia.  It  contained  a  log  court  house  and  a  log  jail. 
The  county  seat  was  subsequently  moved  to  Vandalia. 

ERNEST,  OR  HANOVER  COLONY 

Much  could  be  written  of  the  Ernest  colony — sometimes  called  the 
Hanover  colony.  Ferdinand  Ernest  was  a  broad-minded,  patriotic  man. 
He  brought  a  colony  of  some  twenty  families  to  the  vicinity  of  Vandalia. 
He  was  wealthy  but  used  his  means  to  assist  his  colonists  to  get  a  start 
in  the  new  world.  Among  those  who  came  with  Ernest  was  Colonel  Fred- 
erick Remann,  born  in  Hanover  in  1807.  He  took  an  active  part  in  the 
Black  Hawk  war ;  was  a  successful  business  man ;  served  in  the  legisla- 
ture ;  was  one  of  the  fifty -six  Republican  electors  in  Fayette  county  who 
voted  for  Fremont  in  1856. 

FAYETTE  AND  VANDALIA  ITEMS 

This  county  was  named  in  honor  of  General  LaFayette,  who  in  1825 
was  the  guest  of  Illinois.  He  visited  at  old  Kaskaskia  and  at  Shawnee- 
town,  and  tradition  has  it  that  he  came  to  Vandalia,  but  this  is  very 
doubtful. 

The  moving  of  the  capital  to  Springfield  in  1840  was  a  great  blow  to 
Vandalia.  The  former  capital  became  an  ordinary  county  seat  town  and 
the  dream  of  its  founders  has  never  been  realized. 

It  is  said  the  first  school  was  taught  in  Vandalia  by  a  man  named 
Jackson  in  an  old  shed  in  1819.  The  first  child  born  was  named 
Vandalia  McCullom,  son  of  John  F.  McCullom.  The  first  frame  house 
was  erected  in  1820.  The  first  store  was  kept  by  Ernest,  Holman  and 
others. 

Fayette  furnished  Colonel  Ferris  Foreman  in  the  war  with  Mexico. 
He  was  colonel  of  the  Third  regiment  and  was  a  gallant  officer.  General 
T.  E.  G.  Ransom,  a  brilliant  soldier  of  the  Civil  war,  was  from  Vandalia. 

Vandalia  was  the  center  of  great  political  activity  during  the  great 
slavery  fight  in  1823-4.  The  first  newspaper  in  Illinois  was  the  Illinois 
Herald,  founded  in  1814  in  Kaskaskia.  In  1816  the  name  was  changed 
to  Western  Intelligencer;  in  1818  changed  to  Illinois  Intelligencer.  In 
1820  it  was  moved  to  Vandalia  and  eventually  came  out  as  an  anti-con- 
vention paper.  It  was  continued  till  1832,  when  it  was  merged  with  the 
Illinois  Whig.  In  1830  a  literary  journal  called  the  Illinois  Monthly 
Magazine,  the  first  publication  of  its  kind  in  Illinois,  probably  in  the 
west,  was  begun  in  Vandalia  by  Judge  James  Hull,  the  most  versatile 
writer  of  his  time.  There  have  been  published  in  Vandalia  since  1820 
thirty-seven  different  papers  and  periodicals. 

Fayette  gained  ten  in  population  in  the  past  decade.  In  1900  the 
population  was  28,065 ;  in  1910,  28,075.  In  1900  the  value  of  all  farm 
property,  including  lands,  was  $11,945,902.  In  1910  it  was  $25,489,267. 
The  value  of  domestic  animals  nearly  doubled  in  the  decade.  The  corn 
crop  in  this  county  is  larger  than  in  other  Southern  Illinois  counties. 

Vandalia  is  the  chief  city  of  the  county,  with  a  population  of  2,974. 
St.  Elmo  has  1,227  and  is  a  thriving  town.  There  is  a  number  of  other 
important  towns — Shobonier,  Farina,  Ramsey,  Brownstown,  St.  Peter. 


464  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

The  old  National  road  had  its  western  terminus  at  Vandalia.  The 
road  was  surveyed  to  the  Mississippi  river,  but  the  construction  was 
never  continued  further  west  than  the  capital  city.  The  old  bridge  across 
the  Kaskaskia  is  an  interesting  reminder  of  the  old  regime.  Vandalia 
was  like  a  reservoir  into  which  poured  the  streams  of  immigration  over 
the  old  "National  pike." 


CHAPTER  XLV1I 
FRANKLIN  COUNTY 

CAVE  TOWNSHIP  FIRST  SETTLED — PIONEER  MILLS  ERECTED — EARLY-TIME 
ITEMS — SLAVES  AND  LAND — BENTON,  THE  COUNTY  SEAT — LOGAN  AND 
DOUGLAS — GROWTH  OF  COAL  INTERESTS. 

Franklin  county  came  into  being  in  1818,  January  2.  At  that  time 
it  included  the  territory  of  the  Franklin  county  of  today  and  the  terri- 
tory of  Williamson  just  south.  The  present  county  has  an  area  of 
423  square  miles,  and  a  population  of  25,943,  a  gain  in  ten  years  of 
6,268.  The  county  is  well  watered  by  Little  Muddy  river  on  the  north- 
west, Big  Muddy  and  its  branches  through  the  center.  It  is  quite  level 
and  is  largely  prairie.  The  land  is  not  well  adapted  to  farming.  The 
census  report  of  1900  gives  the  value  of  the  lands  for  this  county  at 
$14.83  per  acre,  while  the  report  for  1910  estimates  the  value  of  lands 
at  $38.48.  This  great  increase  in  value  comes  out  of  the  wonderful  de- 
velopment of  the  coal  interests  in  this  county  in  the  past  ten  years. 

CAVE  TOWNSHIP  FIRST  SETTLED 

In  about  the  year  1804  seven  brothers  by  the  name  of  Jordan,  Wm. 
and  John  Browning,  Joseph  Estes,  and  one  Barbrey  settled  in  what  is 
now  Cave  township,  the  southeast  township  in  the  county,  and  there 
built  what  was  known  as  Jordan's  Fort  sometime  prior  to  1806.  Here 
Barbrey  was  killed  and  scalped  in  1812.  The  Brownings  came  to  be 
a  very  important  people  in  the  history  of  the  county.  The  McCreerys, 
Cantrells,  Swoffords,  and  the  Joneses  were  early  comers.  The  next  part 
of  the  county  to  be  settled  was  Six  Mile  Prairie  in  the  southwest  part 
of  the  present  county.  The  first  settler  in  this  region  was  Chas.  Humph- 
rey who  came  from  Philadelphia  in  1811.  He  kept  a  ferry  across  Big 
Muddy  just  above  where  Blairsville  is  today.  After  the  war  of  1812 
other  settlers  came  to  different  parts  of  the  county  and  by  1818  the 
south  and  east  part  of  the  county  was  sparsely  settled. 

PIONEER  MILLS  ERECTED 

The  early  settlers  went  to  Kaskaskia  to  get  their  milling  done,  but 
in  1810  a  "horse  mill"  was  erected  in  the  Jordan  settlement.  Other 
mills  of  the  same  kind  were  built  on  Crawford's  prairie,  on  Frizzell's 
prairie,  and  one  on  Browning's  Hill.  A  water  mill  was  built  on  Big 
Muddy  in  1838  at  Hillen's  fork  and  another  was  built  about  the  same 
time  on  Middle  Fork  near  Macedonia.  The  first  steam  mill  was  built 

Yol.    T— 30 

465 


466 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


on  Hickman's  Branch  one  and  a  half  miles  south  of  Benton  by  Augustus 
Adams  in  1850. 

.  EARLY-TIME  ITEMS 

Among  the  early  comers  was  Rev.  Braxton  Parrish  who  arrived  in 
1821.  He  was  born  in  North  Carolina  in  1795  and  came  to  Franklin 
county  by  stages  through  Tennessee.  He  settled  six  miles  east  of  Ben- 
ton,  having  married  a  widow,  Mrs.  Margaret  Knox,  in  Tennessee.  Mrs. 
Knox's  parents  lived  in  Franklin  county.  In  1874  the  Rev  Braxton 
Parrish  delivered  a  reminiscent  talk  in  Benton  on  early  life  in  Frank- 
lin county.  He  describes  very  vividly  the  hardships  of  those  early  days. 


THE  HOME  OP  JOHN  A.  LOGAN  IN  BENTON,  FRANKLIN  COUNTY,  WHERE 
DOUGLAS   WAS   ENTERTAINED    THE    DAY   FOLLOWING    THE   JONESBORO 

DEBATE. 

He  paid  $12.00  for  25  yards  of  domestic.  He  bought  it  on  a  credit.  His 
wife  was  sick  and  it  greatly  distressed  her  to  think  they  were  so  greatly 
in  debt.  Mr.  Parrish  went  hunting  one  morning  before  breakfast,  cap- 
tured three  otters,  and  paid  the  debt  with  the  three  otter  skins.  His 
wife  shed  tears  of  gratitude  and  said  she  would  never  doubt  again  an 
overruling  Providence.  The  first  Methodist  class  meeting  was  held  in 
the  home  of  Nathan  Clampets.  There  were  seven  persons  present. 

It  is  stated  in  a  history  of  this  county  that  James  Eubanks  killed 
thirteen  deer  one  morning  before  breakfast  in  1840.  It  appears  that 
the  streams  and  timber  along  them  were  full  of  game  and  the  traffic  in 
furs  was  an  important  line  of  business.  Regular  trips  were  made  to 
St.  Louis  with  loads  of  furs,  venison,  and  farm  products. 

SLAVES  AND  LAND 

Slaves  were  held  in  Franklin  county  by  the  leading  families,  but 
after  the  decision  of  the  convention  contest  in  1824,  many  of  these  slaves 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  467 

were  taken  to  Missouri  and  sold.  In  a  few  cases  they  were  later  bought 
and  brought  back  to  Franklin  county  and  manumitted.  A  specific  case 
is  that  of  the  purchase  of  Richmond  Inge  by  Alexander  McCreery.  Inge 
and  his  wife  were  put  on  a  farm  in  Williamson  county  where  they 
lived  for  many  years. 

The  lands  not  being  very  rich,  the  settlement  of  the  county  was 
slow.  By  1850  not  more  than  half  of  the  land  was  entered.  The  law  of 
1854  changed  the  price  of  land  in  Illinois  from  $1.25  per  acre  to  12!/2 
cents  per  acre.  Thousands  of  acres  of  land  in  Franklin  county  were  pur- 
chased of  the  government  under  the  "Bit  Act."  When  the  Congress 
granted  the  lands  in  Illinois  to  build  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  33,078 
acres  of  the  grant  fell  within  the  limits  of  Franklin  county.  For  many 
years  these  lands  were  a  drug  on  the  market.  The  mineral  rights  in 
this  county  are  now  worth  from  thirty  to  forty  dollars  per  acre. 

BENTON,  THE  COUNTY  SEAT 

When  the  county  was  created  in  1818,  the  county  seat  was  fixed  at 
Frankfort.  The  court  house  and  jail  were  not  built  until  1826  and 
prior  to  that  date  the  county  seat  was  temporarily  in  the  home  of  Moses 
Garrett  about  three  miles  east  of  Frankfort.  When  Williamson  was  cut 
off  from  Franklin  in  1839,  the  county  seat  of  Franklin  was  perma- 
nently fixed  "on  or  near  the  summit  of  a  mound  or  hill  in  the  edge  of 
the  timber,  and  at  the  south  end  of  Rawlings  Prairie."  This  was  to  be 
the  site  of  the  future  city  of  Benton.  The  court  house  in  Benton  was 
built  in  the  spring  of  1841.  It  was  a  small  frame  building  and  stood 
in  the  square.  A  second  court  house  was  built  of  brick  in  1845,  and 
a  third,  the  present  one,  was  built  in  1874. 

Among  the  prominent  lawyers  who  lived  in  Franklin  or  were  accus- 
tomed to  practice  before  the  courts  in  this  county  were  Judge  Walter 
B.  Scates,  Judge  Wm.  A.  Denning,  Hon.  Richard  Nelson,  Hon.  Wm.  K. 
Parrish,  Judge  Andrew  D.  Duff,  Gen.  John  A.  Logan,  and  others. 

LOGAN  AND  DOUGLAS 

John  A.  Logan  lived  in  Benton  from  winter  1855-6  to  the  outbreak 
of  the  Civil  war,  when  he  made  his  home  in  Marion  in  Williamson 
county.  It  is  stated  elsewhere  but  will  bear  repeating  that  he  was  a 
warm  friend  of  Douglas,  and  when  the  later  was  on  his  way  from  the 
Jonesboro  debate  to  the  discussion  at  Charleston,  he  stopped  at  Benton 
and  received  a  great  ovation  from  Logan  and  his  neighbors.  The  house 
in  which  Logan  and  his  wife  lived  in  Benton  is  still  standing  but  is  in 
very  bad  repair.  A  move  is  on  foot  to  preserve  it  and  make  it  a  de- 
pository of  objects  of  interest  connected  with  the  life  and  services  of 
this  nation's  greatest  volunteer  soldier. 

No  county  did  its  duty  any  more  loyally  than  Franklin  in  the  strug- 
gle for  the  preservation  of  the  union  from  '61- '65. 

GROWTH  OP  COAL  INTEREST 

The  chief  interests  which  attach  to  Franklin  county  today  is  the 
wonderful  development  of  her  coal  deposits.  To  show  something  of  the 
wonderful  activity  in  the  development  of  the  coal  interests,  it  is  only 


468  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

necessary  to  quote  statistics  from  the  coal  reports  of  1904  and  1911.  In 
1904  the  total  output  of  all  the  mines  in  the  county  was  4,240  tons. 
This  small  output  came  from  one  mine.  In  1911  the  tonnage  was  2,354,- 
839.  This  output  came  from  fourteen  mines.  The  coal  deposit  lies  at 
an  average  depth  of  500  feet,  and  the  veins  are  from  7  to  12  feet  in  thick- 
ness. There  were  employed  in  these  fourteen  mines  in  1911  a  total  of 
3,732  men  and  boys.  The  total  days  of  active  operation  was  176. 

The  increased  interests  in  coal  lands  and  mines  had  produced  a  sort 
of  speculative  spirit  and  many  have  made  small  fortunes  while  many  a 
man  has  in  the  past  year  or  so  discovered  that  he  "let  go"  too  soon. 
There  are  eleven  banks  in  the  county,  all  doing  a  thriving  business. 
Several  towns  have  sprung  up  and  other  activities  have  been  stimulated. 
Among  the  towns  beside  Benton  are  Akin,  Christopher,  Ewing,  Royal- 
ton,  Sesser,  Thompsonville,  and  West  Frankfort.  There  are  several  vil- 
lages in  addition  to  the  above  towns  and  cities. 


CHAPTER  XLVIII 
GALLATIN  COUNTY 

THE  COUNTY'S  FIRST  WHITE  SETTLER — FIRST  WHITE  SETTLEMENT — A 
LAND  OP  FLOODS  AND  LEVEES — THE  WILSONS — GENERAL  THOMAS 
POSEY — OTHER  PROMINENT  MEN — TOWN  OP  EQUALITY. 

Picturesque  Gallatin !    With  her  rounded  hills,  her  precipitous  bluffs, 
her  vast  stretches  of  level  sandy  low  lands,  her  old  Salines,  her  Indian 


AN  OLD  REVOLUTIONARY  FLAG,  BROUGHT  WEST  BY  GEN.  ALEXANDER 
POSEY.    Now  IN  POSSESSION  OP  ROBINSON  BROTHERS,  SHAWNEETOWN 

mounds  and  burial  places,  the  historic  families  and  public  men — the 
Wilsons,  Carrolls,  Marshalls,  Poseys,  McLeans,  Gatewoods,  Trammels, 
Castles,  Temples,  Crenshaws',  Lawlers,  Rawlings,  Streets,  Logan,  Raum, 
White,  Hargreaves,  and  a  score  of  others. 

THE  COUNTY'S  FIRST  WHITE  SETTLER 

It  is  generally  agreed  that  Michael  Sprinkle,  a  gunsmith,  was  the 
first  white  man  to  settle  within  the  present  limits  of  Gallatin  county. 
He  is  supposed  to  have  come  to  Shawneetown  as  early  as  1800  where  he 
remained  till  1814  when  he  removed  into  the  country  some  four  miles. 

469 


470  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

FIRST  WHITE  SETTLEMENT 

Shawneetown  without  doubt  became  the  first  white  settlement.  There 
was  a  ferry  at  Shawneetown  probably  as  early  as.  1800  or  within  a  year 
or  so  thereafter.  Its  necessity  resulted  from  the  travel  out  of  Kentucky 
to  the  salt  works  which  were  at  Equality  ten  or  twelve  miles  up  the 
Saline  river.  The  continual  moving  of  people  back  and  forth  between 
Kentucky  and  Illinois  brought  many  people  within  the  county  at  an 
early  date.  Settlements  sprang  up  about  Equality,  Omaha,  and  in  other 
neighborhoods.  The  first  settlers  at  Shawneetown  evidently  followed 
their  own  sweet  will  in  locating  their  cabins,  but  in  1808-9  the  general 
government  ordered  the  town  laid  out,  which  was  done.  The  Indians 
still  resided  in  that  locality.  In  1812  a  land  office  was  located  in  Shaw- 
neetown. Many  prominent  men  early  gathered  about  Shawneetown. 

A  LAND  OF  FLOODS  AND  LEVEES 

The  Indians  of  the  village  which  was  located  at  this  point,  gave  the 
whites  to  understand  that  the  land  overflowed  and  the  people  must 
often  take  to  the  hills  for  safety.  In  a  very  early  day  the  people  began 
to  construct  levees  for  protection  against  high  water.  There  have  been 
floods  every  decade  almost  since  the  town  was  laid  out.  About  1859-60 
the  state  granted  the  town  a  charter  to  borrow  money  with  which  to 
build  a  levee.  The  state  granted  aid.  The  work  went  forward  slowly. 
In  1867  the  river  covered  the  entire  town  and  rose  into  the  second 
stories.  The  state  and  town  had  spent  many  thousands  of  dollars  on 
the  levees  and  they  were  thought  safe,  but  in  1875  they  broke  and  the 
town  was  flooded.  For  several  years  the  floods  seemed  to  come  annually. 
In  1884  the  city  was  flooded  the  water  rising  56.4  feet  above  low  water 
mark.  More  money  was  spent  and  the  levees  raised.  By  1888  or  1890 
there  were  four  and  a  half  miles  of  levees,  built  at  a  cost  of  $200,000. 
In  1898,  or  thereabouts,  the  levees  broke  above  the  city  and  great  dam- 
age was  done  property  by  the  enormous  current  which  swept  through 
the  city.  Many  homes  were  swept  away  and  more  than  a  score  of  lives 
were  lost.  The  general  government  appropriated  $25,000  with  which 
to  repair  the  break  in  the  levee,  and  thousands  of  dollars  in  money, 
clothing,  and  food  poured  into  Shawneetown  from  every  hamlet,  village, 
and  town.  In  1907  another  severe  test  arose,  the  water  reaching  52.8 
feet.  By  prompt  and  vigilant  attention  by  the  city  the  threatened 
danger  was  averted. 

A  few  years  ago  the  state  created  an  Internal  Improvement  Com- 
mission. This  commission  has  expended  many  thousands  of  dollars  of 
state  appropriations  in  an  effort  to  strengthen  the  Shawneetown  levees. 
An  effort  is  also  on  foot  to  get  help  from  Congress,  and  there  is  reason 
to  believe,  since  the  high  water  of  April.  1912,  that  the  levees  are  proof 
against  the  waters  of  the  Ohio. 

THE  WILSONS 

The  history  of  the  county,  at  least  in  its  earliest  decades,  is  identical 
with  the  history  of  a  number  of  Illinois'  great  names.  Probably  the 
oldest  name  among  these  is  that  of  the  Wilsons.  Alexander  Wilson  an 
early  emigrant  to  Illinois  settled  at  Shawneetown  so  early  as  1802  or 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  471 

thereabout  and  operated  a  ferry  across  the  Ohio  river.  His  son  Harri- 
son Wilson  was  an  ensign  in  the  war  of  1812  and  a  captain  in  the  Black 
Hawk  war.  Harrison  had  two  sons,  Bluford  who  was  adjutant  general 
of  volunteers  during  the  Civil  war  and  solicitor  for  the  U.  S.  treasury 
in  Grant's  administration.  The  other  son,  James  H.,  was  born  in  Shaw- 
neetown  in  1837.  Educated  at  West  Point;  held  positions  in  the  Engi- 
neer corps  of  several  expeditions.  Rose  to  the  rank  of  major  general 
and  was  detailed  to  pursue  Jefferson  Davis  in  his  flight  from  Richmond, 
Va.,  and  eventually  captured  that  distinguished  prisoner.  He  returned 
to  private  life.  When  the  Spanish-American  war  broke  out  he  served 
as  Major  General  of  Volunteers.  He  has  written  several  books  of  travel 
and  biography. 

GENERAL  THOMAS  POSEY 

General  Thomas  Posey  was  born  1750  in  Virginia.    He  was  captain 
and  lieutenant  colonel  in  the  Revolutionary  war.     He  was  at  Stony 


w 


THE  TOMB  OP  GEN.  ALEXANDER  POSEY,  SHAWNEETOWN,  GALLATIN  COUNTY 

Point  and  at  Yorktown.  He  held  the  position  of  lieutenant  governor 
of  Kentucky,  U.  S.  senator  from  Louisana,  territorial  governor  of  Indi- 
ana, made  his  home  in  Shawneetown  and  lies  buried  in  Westwood  ceme- 
tery; Shawneetown. 

OTHER  PROMINENT  MEN 

Other  prominent  citizens  of  Illinois  whose  lives  were  connected  with 
Gallatin  county  history  were  John  McLean,  representative  in  congress; 
Gen.  John  A.  McClernand,  warrior  and  statesman ;  John  Marshall, 
pioneer  financier;  Henry  Eddy,  veteran  newspaper  man;  Gen.  John  A. 
Logan,  the  idol  of  the  Illinois  volunteers;  Robert  G.  Ingersoll,  the  match- 
less orator;  Chas.  Carroll  and  Thomas  Ridgway,  noted  financiers  and 
public  spirited  citizens  of  later  years ;  Gen.  Michael  K.  Lawler,  a  hero  of 
two  wars. 


472 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 
TOWN  OF  EQUALITY 


Equality  is  a  thriving  town  on  the  Saline  river  some  ten  or  twelve 
miles  from  Shawneetown.  It  has  extensive  coal  mines  and  has  one  of 
the  largest  coke  ovens  in  the  state.  In  this  city  will  be  erected  a  monu- 
ment by  the  state  in  honor  of  the  public  service  to  the  state  of  Gen. 
Michael  K.  Lawler.  The  appropriation  has  been  made  and  the  work  is 
under  way.  Omaha  in  the  northwest  corner  of  the  county,  Ridgway 
toward  the  center,  and  New  Haven  in  the  northeast  are  all  towns  of 
importance.  The  last  named  was  settled  by  Jonathan  Boone,  a  brother 
of  Daniel  Boone.  Boone  settled  New  Haven  as  early  as  1812  or  1814. 
He  built  a  stockade  known  as  Boone 's  Fort. 

Four  miles  west  of  Shawneetown  is  Bowlesville,  a  small  village  whose 
chief  interest  was  coal  mining.  Here  lived  fifty  years  ago  a  gentleman 
whom  Mark  Twain  made  famous — George  Eschol  Sellers.  In  Twain's 
1  "O«Hen  Age"  George  Eschol  Sellers  is  dramatized  as  "Colonel  Mul- 
berry Sellers,"  or  "Millions  in  it."  The  friends  of  Mr.  Sellers  remem- 
ber him  as  an  honest,  industrious,  intelligent  gentleman  who  spent  his 
time  in  making  inventions,  managing  a  great  coal  company,  and  culti- 
vating silk  worms.  He  had  a  valuable  private  library  and  kept  open 
house  to  distinguished  visitors. 

A  PIONEER  INDUSTRY 

On  February  12,  1812,  congress  created  the  Shawneetown  land  dis- 
trict. Leonard  White,  Willis  Hargrove,  and  Phillip  Trammel  consti- 


A  SECTION  OP  A  WOODEN  PIPE  USED  IN  THE  SALT  WORKS  AT  EQUALITY. 
MANY  OF  THESE  WOODEN  PIPES  ARE  STILL  BURIED  IN  THE  GROUND 
IN  THAT  LOCALITY.  \ 

tuted  a  committee  to  set  aside  the  land  adjacent  to  these  salt  works  as 
a  "reservation"  for  the  benefit  of  the  salt  works.  The  timber  was  needed 
for  fuel  to  boil  down  the  brine.  Something  like  100,000  acres  of  land 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  473 

was  reserved  from  sale  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  Great  Half  Moon 
Lick  which  was  found  near  Equality.  An  additional  84,000  acres  were 
reserved  in  other  southern  Illinois  communities. 

On  the  Saline  river  which  rises  in  Hamilton,  Franklin,  and  William- 
son, and  empties  into  the  Ohio  in  Gallatin  county,  was  found  one  of  the 
greatest  salt  licks  which  is  to  be  found  in  the  United  States.  There  was 
also  in  the  immediate  vicinity  salt  springs  of  strongly  impregnated  wa- 
ter. This  lick  is  within  a  half  mile  of  the  town  of  Equality,  Gallatin 


PETER  WHITE,  EQUALITY,  ILL. 

In  1844  this  man  was  ten  years  old.  He  and  three  smaller  children  were  kidnapped 
in  Equality  and  taken  to  Arkansas,  where  they  were  sold  for  $800.00.  They 
were  rescued  by  Walter  White,  of  Equality,  a  nephew  of  Gen.  Leonard  White. 
Uncle  Peter,  as  he  is  called,  still  lives  in  Equality. 

county;  the  spring  is  down  the  Saline  river  about  three  miles.  The  salt 
making  process  was  very  simple.  Large  iron  kettles  holding  from  forty- 
five  to  ninety  gallons  each  were  brought  down  the  Ohio  from  Pittsburg 
to  Shawneetown.  Long  trenches  were  dug  in  the  ground  and  lined  with 
rock  on  the  sides.  The  kettles  were  set  over  these  trenches  and  the  spaces 
between  filled  with  mortar  or  mud,  a  chimney  was  constructed  at  one  end 
of  the  long  row  of  kettles  and  a  fire  kept  constantly  burning  under  the 
kettles  which  were  filled  with  the  brine.  The  brine  was  gotten  by  dig- 
ging wells  from  thirty  feet  to  2,000  feet  deep. 

The  fuel  was  the  timber  off  of  the  reservation.  This  was  easily  fur- 
nished for  a  few  years,  but  soon  the  timber  was  cut  for  one  or  two  miles. 
Then  the  cost  of  hauling  fuel  to  the  wells  and  furnaces  was  too  great 
to  justify  the  continuance  of  the  business.  Then  was  shown  real  genius 
— then  came  the  real  forerunner  of  the  present  pipe  line  systems. 

The  furnaces  were  now  moved  to  the  timber  in  some  instances  some 
three  or  four  miles  away.  The  water  was  carried  to  the  furnaces  in 
wooden  pipes.  These  pipes  were  made  by  cutting  down  trees  about  ten 
to  sixteen  inches  in  diameter  and  into  lengths  of  from  twelve  to  twenty 


474  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

feet.  A  two-inch  auger  hole  was  bored  endwise  through  these  logs.  At 
the  butt  end  the  opening  was  reamed  out,  while  the  smaller  end  of  an- 
other log  was  trimmed  to  enter  this  enlarged  opening.  The  small  end 
was  inserted  into  the  butt  end  and  the  joint  made  secure  by  a  sort  of 
battering-ram. 

To  prevent  the  butt  end  from  splitting,  iron  bands  were  fitted  over 
the  log.  These  wooden  pipe  lines  ran  straight  from  the  wells  to  the  tim- 
ber, over  small  hills  and  across  streams.  To  force  the  water  over  the 
small  hills  a  sort  of  standpipe  was  constructed  at  the  well  high  enough 
to  force  the  water  over  all  points  between  the  wells  and  the  furnaces. 
In  crossing  the  streams  the  pipe  line  was  forced  to  the  bottom  of  the  wa- 
ter by  heavy  iron  riders  said  to  weigh  several  hundred  pounds. 

In  the  days  of  the  pipe  line  system,  there  were  hundreds  of  men  em- 
ployed, lumbermen,  wood  haulers,  firemen,  hands  to  attend  to  the  evap- 
orating pans,  coopers,  inspectors,  store-keepers,  rivermen,  hoop-pole  mer- 
chants, and  overseers.  The  pipes  were  first  bored  by  hand  but  soon  a 
horsepower  auger  was  arranged.  Negro  slaves  were  the  principal  labor- 
ers. Later  when  the  improved  machinery,  etc.,  was  used,  they  made  as 
much  as  500  barrels  a  day.  The  manufacture  of  salt  ceased  about  Equal- 
ity in  1870  because  salt  could  be  made  cheaper  in  other  parts  of  the 
country. 


CHAPTER  XLIX 
HAMILTON  COUNTY 

FIRST  SETTLERS — JUDGE  STELLE'S  PIONEER  PICTURES — WHICH  RECTOR 
WAS  MASSACRED? — TOWN  OF  MCLEANSBORO — As  TO  EDUCATION — 
JAMES  R.  CAMPBELL — GENERAL  INFORMATION. 

Hamilton  was  created  out  of  White  by  action  of  the  general  assembly 
on  February  8,  1821.  It  was  named  in  honor  of  Alexander  Hamilton. 
Its  area  is  432  square  miles,  and  its  population  in  1910  was  18,227,  a 
loss  in  ten  years  of  1,970. 

FIRST  SETTLERS 

The  first  settlers  in  Hamilton  county  came  as  early  as  1816,  but  the 
territory  was  then  included  in  White  county.  David  Upton  seems  to 
have  been  the  first  settler.  He  located  about  six  miles  southwest  of  the 
present  city  of  McLeansboro,  on  what  is  called  Knight's  Prairie. 
Among  the  names  of  early  settlers  were  Head,  Hardester,  Hungate, 
Schoolcraft,  Daily,  Mayberry,  Biggerstaff,  Bond,  Lockwood,  Carpenter, 
and  others.  A.  M.  Auxier  was  an  early  settler,  possibly  earlier  than 
Upton.  Auxier  settled  on  and  gave  name  to  Auxier  Creek  in  the  north- 
ern part  of  the  county. 

JUDGE  STELLE'S  PIONEER  PICTURES 

The  early  life  of  the  settlers  has  been  described  by  Judge  Thomp- 
son B.  Stelle.  He  tells  how  the  settlers  lived,  how  they  made  their  meal 
by  pounding  corn  in  a  "hominy  mortar,"  which  was  a  hollow  place 
burned  in  the  side  of  a  log.  The  pestle  with  which  they  pounded  the 
corn  was  attached  to  a  spring  pole  which  lifted  it  after  each  stroke. 
"Johnny  cake"  and  "corn  dodgers"  were  the  staff  of  life.  Johnny 
cakes  were  baked  on  a  board  placed  before  the  fire,  while  dodgers  were 
baked  in  the  hot  ashes  and  coals.  The  meat  was  venison  and  bear  meat. 
Buckskin  clothing  was  a  very  common  article. 

Here,  as  elsewhere,  log  cabins  were  the  first  homes.  Timber  was 
plentiful  along  the  streams,  among  which  the  principal  one  was  the 
North  Fork  of  the  Saline  River.  This  stream  runs  southeastward 
through  the  county.  The  country,  especially  along  the  streams,  swarmed 
with  small  animals  which  were  killed  for  their  furs  or  for  their  flesh, 
though  others  were  harmful,  such  as  panthers,  foxes,  wolves,  catamounts, 
ets.  The  farmers  went  to  Equality  for  their  salt,  and  to  the  Wabash 
for  their  milling. 

475 


476 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 
WHICH  RECTOR  WAS  MASSACRED  ? 


The  Indians  were  plentiful  as  late  as  the  coming  of  the  earliest 
settlers.  A  story  is  told  in  Reynold's  "Pioneer  History"  of  the  narrow 
escape  of  Nelson  Rector  who  was  surveying  on  Saline  river.  He  was 
shot  through  the  arm  and  in  the  side,  but  his  horse  carried  him  safely 
away.  It  is  also  said  that  the  records  of  the  county — the  surveyor's 
field  book — contains  this:  "John  Rector  died  May  25,  1805,  at  the 
section  corner  of  Sections  21,  22,  27  and  28;  buried  from  this  corner, 
South  62°,  west  72  poles;  small  stone  monument;  stone  quarry  north- 
west 150  yards."  This  purports  to  be  the  records  and  if  so  there  is  some 
discrepancy  in  names.  The  one  killed,  according  to  Reynolds,  was  Nel- 


ATTRACTIVE  ARCHITECTURE,  MCLEANSBORO,  HAMILTON  COUNTY 

son  in  1814;  the  one  said  to  be  on  record  was  John.     Tradition  has  it 
that  John  Rector  was  massacred  by  the  Indians. 

TOWN  OP  MCLEANSBORO 

In  the  act  creating  the  county  of  Hamilton,  the  commissioners  to 
locate  the  capital  of  the  county  were  to  meet  at  the  house  of  John  Ander- 
son till  a  permanent  seat  of  justice  was  selected.  On  April  9,  1821,  the 
first  county  commissioners'  court  was  held  in  the  house  of  John  Ander- 
son. The  first  act  was  to  appoint  Jesse  C.  Lockwood  county  clerk.  The 
court  then  received  the  report  of  the  commissioners  who  were  to  select 
the  county  seat.  The  commissioners  had  selected  the  present  site  of 
McLeansboro.  It  was  on  land  donated  by  Wm.  B.  McLean  and  the 
county  seat  was  named  McLeansboro. 

The  court  house  built  in  McLeansboro  was  of  logs,  sixteen  feet  square, 
eight  feet  high,  one  window,  one  door,  covered  with  clapboards.  The 
county  court  met  in  the  new  capital  on  Monday,  June  4,  1821. 

The  first  residences  of  the  town  of  McLeansboro  were  built  of  logs. 
The  first  frame  house  was  built  by  Jesse  C.  Lockwood.  The  first  doctor 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  477 

was  Wm.  B.  McLean,  and  the  first  lawyer  was  Samuel  S.  Marshall.  Mr. 
Marshall  came  to  be  the  most  noted  politician,  judge  and  lawyer  in  all 
Southern  Illinois.  He  lived  to  a  ripe  old  age  and  died  in  McLeansboro 
in  1890. 

Following  the  organization  of  the  county,  settlers  came  in  large  num- 
bers but  they  were  mostly  farmers.  The  county  seat  grew  but  there 
were  no  other  towns  of  any  importance  in  the  county  till  the  coming  of 
the  railroads.  At  present  the  population  is  largely  rural.  McLeans- 
boro has  a  population  of  1,796,  Dahlgren  654,  Macedonia  200,  Brough- 
ton  470,  Belle  Prairie  87. 

As  TO  EDUCATION 

The  people  of  Hamilton  have  always  taken  an  interest  in  education. 
Of  course  in  an  early  day  the  whole  matter  was  in  an  undeveloped  stage 
and  meager  results  were  obtained,  but  the  people  were  patient  and 
persevering  and  now  the  interest  and  work  is  of  a  high  grade.  The 
first  school  house  in  the  county  was  the  oft-described  log  structure 
12  by  14  feet  and  stood  near  the  present  depot  in  McLeansboro.  There 
was  only  a  dirt  floor,  and  the  room  was  heated  by  a  fire  in  one  corner 
with  a  hole  in  the  roof  for  a  chimney.  The  second  and  the  third  schools 
were  of  logs.  The  schools  of  today  are  well  organized  under  the  oversight 
of  Whitson  W.  Daily  as  county  superintendent.  There  is  but  one  well 
organized  high  school,  that  of  McLeansboro,  but  there  are  seventy-eight 
rural  and  village  schools. 

The  Catholic  church  maintains  a  flourishing  school  at  Piopolis,  a 
small  village  six  miles  north  of  McLeansboro.  A  college  known  as  Ham- 
ilton College  was  in  operation  in  McLeansboro  from  1874  to  1880.  It 
graduated  several  students.  It  was  chartered  and  would  have  flourished 
but  a  quarrel  as  to  the  location  of  the  college  buildings  blasted  the 
enterprise  and  it  closed  its  doors  in  1880. 

JAMES  R.  CAMPBELL 

Probably  the  most  widely  known  citizen  of  the  county  is  the  Hon. 
James  R.  Campbell.  He  comes  of  a  noted  family  of  Scotch-Irish.  Edu- 
cated at  Notre  Dame,  Indiana,  member  of  the  bar,  served  in  the  legis- 
lature, member  of  congress,  colonel  of  the  Ninth  Illinois  Volunteers  in 
the  Spanish-American  war,  and  since  a  prominent  lawyer  and  business 
man. 

GENERAL  INFORMATION 

The  distribution  of  values  on  the  farms  for  the  entire  county  is  as 
follows:  Land  70.5%;  buildings  12.1%;  implements  and  machinery 
2.4% ;  domestic  animals,  poultry,  etc.,  14.1%.  The  average  value  of 
land  in  1900  was  $15.64;  in  1910  $34.32;  average  for  the  state  in  1910, 
$95.02. 

There  are  ten  banks  in  Hamilton  county ;  three  in  McLeansboro ; 
three  in  Dahlgren ;  one  in  Broughton ;  two  in  Macedonia,  and  one  in 
Walpole.  There  is  no  mining,  and  no  factories  of  any  very  great  im- 
portance. 


CHAPTER  L 
HARDIN  COUNTY 

PICTURESQUE  AND  PROSPEROUS— LEAD  MINES  AND  TOWNS — FIRST  SET- 
TLERS  CAVE-IN-THE-ROCK  DESCRIBED. 

Hardin  county  was  made  by  taking  the  south  end  of  Gallatin  and 
the  northeast  part  of  Pope.  It  was  created  March  2,  1839.  Putnam 
county  has  the  reputation  of  having  the  smallest  area  of  any  county  in 
the  state — 173  square  miles — but  Hardin  comes  in  for  second  honors 
with  185  square  miles.  However,  Hardin  stands  last  in  population,  with 
7,015,  while  Putnam  ranks  next  with  7,561. 

PICTURESQUE  AND  PROSPEROUS 

This  county  though  small  in  area  is  a  very  interesting  county.  It 
is  picturesque  in  its  physical  aspects.  It  lies  in  the  eastern  terminus  of 
Ozark  range,  which  crosses  Southern  Illinois.  It  has  long  been  held  up 
to  ridicule  as  not  having  any  railroad,  but  this  can  be  no  longer  truth- 
fully said  of  Hardin  county,  for  she  has  both  a  steam  road  and  an  electric 
line. 

The  chief  interests  in  Hardin  county  are  agricultural  and  mining. 
To  be  sure  the  farms  are  small,  but  they  are  well  improved  and  the 
farmers  are  a  thrifty,  intelligent  class.  More  than  half  of  the  farms 
are  occupied  and  managed  by  their  owners.  Out  of  927  farmers  905  of 
them  are  native  born  whites. 

In  1910  the  census  showed  an  average  of  corn  to  the  acre  of  29  bush- 
els, and  an  average  of  19  bushels  of  oats  per  acre,  and  of  wheat  14  bush- 
els. Three  hundred  eighty-two  acres  were  in  potatoes,  which  yielded 
18,566  bushels.  The  farmers  have  666  acres  in  alfalfa,  which  is  a  new 
crop,  and  the  prospects  are  for  a  good  yield. 

B>it  the  most  promising  outlook  for  the  county  is  her  mineral  re- 
sources. The  geological  survey  of  this  county  shows  two  per  cent  of 
the  area  alluvial  formation,  about  20%  of  the  area  millstone  grit  forma- 
tion, 20%  upper  division  Chester  formation,  20%  lower  division  same 
formation,  and  about  40%  Keokuk  limestone.  In  the  latter  formation 
are  found  deposits  of  coal,  lead,  iron,  zinc,  silver,  and  fluor  spar. 

LEAD  MINES  AND  TOWNS 

In  1839  lead  was  discovered  on  the  farm  of  Mr.  James  Anderson, 
one  mile  below  the  site  of  the  present  town  of  Rosiclare.  Nothing 
was  done  at  that  time  toward  developing  the  deposit.  In  1842  a  Mr. 

478 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


479 


Pell,  living  one  mile  north  of  Rosiclare,  discovered  spar  and  lead. 
Companies  were  organized  and  mines  opened.  The  operations  were 
poorly  prosecuted.  These  mines  were  worked  at  intervals  till  1851 
when  they  were  abandoned.  Nothing  was  done  until  recent  years 
when  the  fluor  spar  mines  were  opened  up,  and  since  then  there  has  been 
great  activity  in  the  fluor  spar,  zinc,  and  lead  business.  The  mines  are 
about  a  mile  back  of  the  town  of  Rosiclare.  From  the  mines  there  are 
two  roads,  one  steam  and  the  other  electric,  leading  to  the  river.  These 
are  used  to  transport  the  products  of  the  mines  to  the  river,  where  they 
are  loaded  usually  on  barges  for  transportation  to  the  markets. 

There  are  three  towns  in  the  county.  Elizabethtown,  with  a  popula- 
tion of  633 ;  Rosiclare,  609 ;  and  Cave-in-Rock,  306.  In  addition  to  the 
postoffices  in  these  three  towns  there  are  nine  other  offices  in  the  county : 


MAIN  STREET  LOOKING  TOWARD  THE  OHIO  RIVER,  ELIZABETHTOWN 

Cadiz,    Eichorn,   Grossville,   Hicks,   Karbers   Ridge,    Lamb,   Rockcreek, 
Shelterville,  Sparks  Hill. 

FIRST  SETTLERS 

The  first  settler  within  the  limits  of  the  county  probably  was  James 
McFarlan,  Sr.,  who  had  a  contract  with  the  United  States  to  furnish 
beef  for  the  garrison  at  Fort  Massac.  He  settled  at  the  present  site  of 
Elizabethtown  in  1808,  where  the  trail  crossed  from  Nashville,  Tennessee, 
to  the  salt  works  at  Equality.  Here  McFarlan  ran  a  ferry  across  the 
Ohio  for  twenty  years.  William  McFarlan  was  also  a  settler  as  early  as 
1808.  Benona  Lee  came  in  1809.  In  1808  Gov.  Wm.  H.  Harrison  gave 
permission  to  Isaac  White  and  Jonathan  Taylor  to  operate  a  ferry  at 
Elizabethtown. 

John  King  was  the  first  cabinet  maker.  A  Mr.  Ewell  was  the  first 
teacher  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Stilly,  a  Baptist  minister,  preached  the  first 
sermon  in  the  county. 


4SO  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

CAVE-IN-ROCK  DESCRIBED 

Without  doubt  the  most  noted  natural  object  in  the  county  is  Cave- 
in-Rock,  which  is  a  remarkable  cavern  some  seven  miles  above  Elizabeth- 
town  on  the  Ohio.  Probably  we  could  not  do  better  than  to  quote  from 
a  noted  English  traveler  who  visited  it  in  1803.  The  traveler  was 
Thaddeus  M.  Harris,  who  says :  ' '  For  about  three  or  four  miles  before 
you  come  to  this  place,  you  are  presented  with  a  scene  truly  romantic. 
On  the  Illinois  side  of  the  river,  you  see  large  ponderous  rocks  piled  one 
upon  another,  of  different  colors,  shapes,  and  sizes.  Some  appear  to 
have  gone  through  the  hands  of  a  skillful  artist;  some  represent  the 
ruins  of  an  ancient  edifice;  others  thrown  promiscuously  in  and  out  of 
the  river,  as  if  nature  intended  to  show  us  with  what  ease  she  could 
handle  those  mountains  of  solid  rock.  In  some  places,  you  see  purling 
streams  winding  their  course  down  their  rugged  front;  while  in  others, 
the  rocks  project  so  far  that  they  seem  almost  disposed  to  leave  their 
doubtful  situations.  After  a  short  relief  from  this  scene,  you  come  to 
a  second  which  is  something  similar  to  the  first ;  and  here,  with  strict 
scrutiny,  you  can  discover  the  cave. 

"Before  its  mouth  stands  a  delightful  grove  of  cypress  trees  ar- 
ranged immediately  on  the  bank  of  the  river.  They  have  a  fine  appear- 
ance and  add  much  to  the  cheerfulness  of  the  place. 

' '  The  mouth  of  the  cave  is  but  a  few  feet  above  the  ordinary  level  of 
the  river,  and  is  formed  by  a  semicircular  arch  of  about  80  feet  at  its 
base,  and  25  feet  in  height,  the  top  projecting  considerably  over,  form- 
ing a  regular  concave.  Prom  the  entrance  to  the  extremity,  which  is 
about  180  feet,  it  has  a  regular  and  gradual  ascent.  On  either  side  is  a 
solid  bench  of  rock,  the  arch  coming  to  a  point  about  the  middle  of 
the  cave,  where  you  discover  an  opening  sHfficiently  large  to  receive  the 
body  of  a  man,  through  which  comes  a  small  stream  of  fine  water,  made 
use  of  by  those  who  visit  this  place.  From  this  hole  a  second  cave  is 
discovered  whose  dimensions,  form,  etc.,  are  not  known.  The  rock  is 
lime  stone.  The  sides  of  the  cave  are  covered  with  inscriptions,  names 
of  persons,  dates,  etc.  According  to  tradition,  this  cave  has  been  the  hid- 
ing place  of  river  robbers  for  more  than  a  hundred  years." 


CHAPTER  LI 
JACKSON  COUNTY 

SETTLED  EARLY  PART  NINETEENTH  CENTURY — SALT  INDUSTRIES  POUNDED 
— ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  BRINGS  SETTLERS — CARBONDALE  PLATTED — 
COAL  MINING — GRAND  TOWER — MURPHYSBORO. 

When  Jackson  county  was  created  by  act  of  the  general  assembly, 
January  10,  1816,  it  included  just  what  it  does  today,  except  a  strip 
several  miles  wide  was  cut  off  of  the  north  side  to  add  to  Perry  when 
that  county  was  created  in  1827.  This  county  has  the  Mississippi  for  a 
boundary  on  the  west  some  eighteen  miles,  and  the  Big  Muddy  river 
passes  through  it  from  northeast  to  southwest.  The  tributaries  to  these 
two  rivers  are  themselves  good  sized  creeks,  so  the  county  is  well 
watered.  The  south  side  is  in  the  region  of  the  Ozarks  and  is  very 
hilly,  but  the  central  and  north  side  are  slightly  rolling.  There  are 
large  areas  of  submerged  lands  along  the  Mississippi  bottoms.  The 
county  is  underlaid  with  a  very  fine  quality  of  coal  and  the  quantity 
is  in  abundance.  There  have  been  excellent  forests,  but  many  of  them 
have  disappeared  before  the  onward  march  of  the  farmer  and  the  hard 
himber  man. 

SETTLED  EARLY  PART  OP  NINETEENTH  CENTURY 

Prior  to  1800  there  were  no  whites  permanently  settled  in  the  limits 
of  the  present  county.  An  old  historian  says  the  first  whites  crossed 
into  Jackson  county  over  Degognia  Creek,  the  boundary  on  the  north- 
west, to  make  maple  sugar  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the  county.  Two 
men  and  their  families,  a  Mr.  Reed,  and  Emsly  Jones,  settled  in  the 
county  in  1802.  Jones  killed  Reed  and  was  hanged  in  Kaskaskia.  In 
1805  or  1806,  Wm.  Boone  moved  from  near  Kaskaskia  to  the  north- 
western part  of  the  county  and  settled  near  Degognia  Creek.  A  family 
by  the  name  of  Brooks  came — they  were  friends  of  Boone. 

As  early  as  1804  Henry  Noble  and  Jesse  Griggs  settled  on  Big 
Muddy  above  where  Murphysboro  now  stands.  Others  settled  near,  one 
a  tailor,  another  a  miller.  The  settlers  began  to  arrive  and  by  the  war 
of  1812  there  were  enough  people  in  the  region  of  the  Big  Muddy  to 
constitute  a  company  of  Rangers.  Such  a  company  was  commanded 
by  Capt.  William  Boone.  There  were  80  men  and  officers.  The  "big 
hill"  near  Grand  Tower  and  the  "devil's  oven"  were  settled  as  early 
as  1807.  William  Boone  moved  from  the  northwest  corner  of  the 
county  to  what  was  called  the  "Sand  Ridge,"  just  where  Kinkaid 
Creek  flows  into  Big  Muddy,  in  1806-7.  Here  the  government  had  set 

Vol.  1—31 

481 


482 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


aside  a  reservation  for  the  Kaskaskia  Indians  and  at  that  time  there 
were  about  sixty  camps  or  lodges  on  the  reservation.  A  few  settlers  had 
cabins  on  the  Big  Muddy  near  the  Williamson  county  line.  Here  they 
built  a  block  house  as  early  as  1811. 

SALT  INDUSTRIES  FOUNDED 

About  1813  Dr.  Conrad  Will  came  to  this  county.  He  discovered 
salt  springs  on  the  Big  Muddy  in  1814.  He  bought  kettles  in  Pitts- 
burgh and  began  the  manufacture  of  salt  in  1814  or  1815.  Around  these 


A  KETTLE  USED  BY  CONRAD  WILL  IN  MAKING  SALT  ON  BIG  MUDDY  RIVER. 
This  kettle  holds  sixty  gallons,  and  was  brought  with  fifty  or  sixty  others  from 

Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  in  1814  or  1815.     The  gentleman  is  Edward  Worthen, 

a  grandson  of  Conrad  Will. 

salt  works  grew  up  Old  Brownsville,  which  was  made  the  county  seat 
in  1816.  This  remained  the  seat  of  justice  till  1843,  when  the  county 
seat  was  moved  to  Murphysboro.  The  site  of  Murphysboro  had 
previously  been  settled  by  Dr.  John  Logan,  father  of  Gen.  John  A. 
Logan.  Conrad  Will  managed  the  salt  works,  owned  a  store,  ran  a  tan 
yard,  and  practiced  medicine,  served  in  the  legislature  and  assisted  in 
the  management  of  county  affairs.  Alexander  Jenkins,  a  young  man  of 
promise,  was  a  protege  of  Dr.  Conrad  Will.  Wm.  Boone  built  a  flat  boat 
at  the  mouth  of  Kinkaid  Creek  and  made  a  trip  to  New  Orleans  in  1811. 
In  1814  the  Duncans  settled  at  the  Big  Hill,  and  the  father,  Joseph  Dun- 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


483 


can,  built  the  finest  house  in  the  county.  It  stood  near  the  river  and 
just  at  the  northwest  corner  of  the  Big  Hill.  It  was  called  the  "White 
House." 

ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  BRINGS  SETTLERS 

The  eastern  half  of  the  county  was  not  settled  till  late  in  the  first 
half  of  the  19th  century.  The  Illinois  Central  was  finished  in  1854. 
This  brought  many  settlers,  and  towns  sprang  up.  The  early  history 
is  therefore  confined  to  the  section  along  the  Big  Muddy  and  the  north- 
west which  was  close  to  Kaskaskia.  Marcus  Green  Reynolds,  now  living 
a  few  miles  south  of  Murphysboro,  came  to  that  region  in  1832.  He 


THIS  is  THE  ONLY  REMAINING  HOUSE  IN  OLD  BROWNSVILLE,  THE  FIRST 
COUNTY  SEAT  OP  JACKSON  COUNTY.    IT  WAS  BUILT  ABOUT  1830 


was  from  the  Carolinas.  Governor  Barteme  Reynolds,  the  first  Royal 
governor  of  Georgia,  was  an  ancestor  of  Mr.  Marcus  G.  Reynolds.  He 
came  to  this  county  when  Indians  were  still  on  their  reservation  on  the 
Sand  Ridge.  He  remembers  Alexander  Jenkins,  Conrad  Will,  Dr.  Rob- 
erts, Peter  Kimmel,  Rev.  Nail,  Dr.  John  Logan,  and  other  early  settlers 
in  or  near  Brownsville.  He  remembers  the  first  steam  mill  in  the 
county.  He  gives  this  recipe  for  the  ink  made  in  the  early  schools: 
Maple  bark,  copperas,  indigo,  sugar.  Old  Brownsville,  he  thinks,  was  a 
town  of  three  or  four  hundred  people;  there  was  a  bank,  stores,  hotel, 
tan  yard,  salt  works,  jail,  and  court  house  used  for  school  and  church 
purposes.  Here  is  where  Gen.  John  A.  Logan  went  to  school — in  the 
court  house. 

Another  old  settler  still  living  is  Wm.  Green  Williams.  He  came  in 
1832.  He  knew  most  of  the  people  whom  Mr.  Reynolds  knew.  He  was 
often  in  Old  Brownsville  and  remembers  well  the  removal  of  the  county 
seat  from  Brownsville  to  Murphysboro  in  1843.  He  now  lives  northwest 
of  Carbondale  two  or  three  miles. 


484  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

CARBONDALE  PLATTED 

In  1852,  the  town  of  Carbondale  was  laid  off  on  the  newly  built 
railroad — the  Illinois  Central.  The  town  was  laid  off  by  several  men 
who  were  interested  in  the  new  venture.  Among  them  were  John 
Dougherty,  Col.  D.  H.  Brush,  Asgill  Connor,  A.  Buck,  L.  W.  Ashley, 
J.  P.  Ashley,  Wm.  Richart  and  others.  A  clause  in  the  original  deeds  to 
lots  prohibited  the  sale  of  intoxicating  liquors  on  any  lot  in  Carbondale, 
but  in  after  years  the  lawyers  got  their  heads  together  and  decided  the 
restriction  would  not  hold  in  the  courts,  and  saloons  were  installed  for  a 
period  of  ten  years,  but  for  the  past  four  years  there  have  been  no  legal- 
ized saloons  in  the  city. 

Carbondale  is  the  seat  of  the  Southern  Illinois  State  Normal  Uni- 
versity, contains  the  "tie  preserving  plant"  of  the  Ayer  and  Lord  com- 
pany, and  is  quite  a  railroad  center.  Twenty-five  passenger  trains  arrive 
and  depart  daily.  The  offices  of  the  St.  Louis  division  of  the  Illinois 
Central  are  here. 

COAL  MINING 

In  a  very  early  day,  probably  as  early  as  1830,  coal  was  discovered 
on  the  Big  Muddy.  Large  quantities  were  sent  out  of  the  Big  Muddy  on 
flat  boats  and  barges.  Coal  has  been  a  source  of  great  revenue  to  this 
county,  and  is  responsible  for  considerable  railroad  building.  The  quality 
and  quantity,  as  has  been  said,  is  marked.  Jackson  and  Williamson  con- 
stitute the  Tenth  District  under  the  mining  laws  of  the  state,  and  Jack- 
son ranks  19th  in  production,  putting  out  621,853  tons  in  1910.  The 
report  for  1911  shows  26  mines  for  this  count3r,  employing  1,184  men,  17 
of  them  are  what  are  called  local  mines. 

Jackson  was  originally  well  timbered,  but  much  of  the  better  grades 
has  been  shipped  out  and  only  the  second  and  third  rate  grades  are 
left.  The  south  half  of  the  county  lies  in  the  Ozarks  and  immense  quan- 
tities of  fruits  and  vegetables  are  shipped  from  the  railroad  points.  Pine 
rock  quarries  are  to  be  found  in  this  countv  at  Grand  Tower  and  at 
Bosky  Dell. 

GRAND  TOWER 

Grand  Tower  on  the  Mississippi  is  an  interesting  river  town.  In 
about  the  year  1885  a  railroad  was  built  from  Carbondale  to  Grand 
Tower.  This  connected  with  the  Illinois  Central  at  Carbondale,  tapped 
the  coal  fields  at  Murphysboro  and  passed  through  the  best  timbered 
regions  of  the  county.  There  were  two  iron  furnaces  at  Grand  Tower 
and  extensive  coke  ovens  at  Murphysboro.  The  furnaces  were  aban- 
doned about  1892  or  earlier  and  the  town  suffered  in  consequence. 
Large  rock  quarries  have  been  in  operation  in  Grand  Tower.  The  town 
had  a  population  of  875  in  1910.  The  northwestern  part  of  the  county 
has  two  towns,  Ava  and  Campbell  Hill.  Along  the  line  of  the  Illinois 
Central,  passing  through  Carbondale  from  south  to  north,  are  the  towns 
of  Makanda,  a  fruit  shipping  point,  Bosky  Dell,  the  site  of  extensive 
quarries,  DeSoto  and  Elkville — coal  stations  and  country  towns. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  485 

MUEPHYSBOBO 

Murphysboro,  the  county  seat,  is  a  city  of  over  7,000  people.  It  has 
several  coal  mines,  the  shops  of  the  Mobile  and  Ohio  railroad,  and  an  ex- 
tensive trade  in  groceries,  dry  goods,  farm  supplies,  and  lumber.  There 
are  five  banks,  an  extensive  shoe  factory,  foundries,  and  a  paving  brick 
plant  that  makes  a  very  fine  grade  of  paving  blocks.  The  professions 
are  fully  represented.  Here  was  the  birthplace  of  Gen.  John  A.  Logan 
and  here  some  of  his  near  kin  live  today.  Murphysboro  has  many 
churches  and  the  school  interests  are  represented  by  an  elegant  town- 
ship high  school. 


CHAPTER  LII 
JASPER  COUNTY 

NEWTON,  THE  COUNTY    SEAT — POPULATION  AND  AGRICULTURE — VILLAGES 

IN  COUNTY. 

Jasper  county  lies  due  west  of  Crawford,  from  which  it  was  taken 
by  act  of  the  general  assembly  February  15,  1831.  The  county  was 
sparsely  settled  when  organized  and  was  without  a  railroad  till  1876, 
when  the  road  from  Grayville  to  Mattoon  reached  this  county  from  the 
south.  Shortly  afterwards  the  road  from  Effingham  eastward  passed 
through  the  county  and  since  then  the  growth  of  the  county  has  been 
rapid. 

NEWTON,  THE  COUNTY  SEAT 

The  county  seat  was  located  at  Newton  in  1835  and  has  remained 
there  ever  since.  It  is  wholly  an  agricultural  county.  The  timber  areas 
were  originally  about  equal  to  the  prairies,  but  much  of  the  timbered 
districts  have  disappeared.  The  forests  have  kept  several  saw  mills 
busy  for  many  years.  Most  of  the  timber  is  found  along  the  Embarras 
river,  which  runs  from  the  northwest  toward  the  southeast  through  the 
county. 

POPULATION  AND  AGRICULTURE 

The  county  has  an  area  of  508  square  miles,  and  a  population  of 
18,157.  This  is  a  loss  in  population  in  ten  years  of  2,003.  Eighty-nine 
and  three-tenths  per  cent  of  the  land  in  the  county  is  in  farms,  and  the 
value  of  all  farm  property  is  $18,785,026,  a  hundred  and  six-tenths  per 
cent  increase  since  1900.  The  distribution  of  values  is  as  follows :  Land, 
71.8%  ;  buildings,  13.5% ;  implements  and  machinery,  2.6%  ;  domestic 
animals,  etc.,  12.2%.  The  last  three  are  much  higher  than  the  average 
for  the  state.  The  same  items  for  the  entire  state  are,  respectively : 
79.1;  11.1;  1.9;  7.9.  Farm  lands  have  risen  in  value  within  ten  years — 
from  1900  to  1910— from  $22.60  to  $46.42.  The  average  crops  for  the 
several  farm  products  per  acre  are :  Corn.  19  bushels ;  oats,  24 ;  wheat,  12 ; 
barley,  11 ;  potatoes,  93..  Forage  of  all  kinds  produced,  average  about 
a  ton,  or  slightly  more,  per  acre. 

VILLAGES  IN  COUNTY 

The  county  seat,  Newton,  was  settled  about  1828  and  was  made  the 
county  seat  as  stated  above.  It  is  situated  on  the  Embarras,  whence  it 

486 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  487 

derives  some  water  power.  It  has  a  cross  railroad  and  carries  on  some 
industries.  It  grinds  considerable  grain  and  gives  attention  to  the  dairy- 
ing business,  which  is  carried  on  by  the  farmers  of  the  county.  Newton 
has  a  population  of  2,108.  St.  Marie  is  next  in  size  with  450  people. 
Other  villages  are  Hidalgo  with  190,  Rose  Hill  with  229,  Hunt  City  235, 
Wheeler  255,  Willow  Hill  444. 

There  is  no  coal  mined  in  the  county  unless  it  may  be  to  supply  a 
part  of  the  local  trade ;  no  account  was  made  of  coal  in  the  1911  report. 
Oil  is  found  in  the  adjoining  counties  and  some  borings  have  been  made 
in  this  county,  and  no  doubt  the  time  is  not  far  off  when  paying  wells 
will  be  in  operation. 


JAMES  C.  MAXEY,  THE  OLDEST  NATIVE  OP  JEFFERSON  COUNTY 


CHAPTER  LIII 
JEFFERSON  COUNTY 

MT.  VEBNON  MADE  THE  COUNTY  SEAT — MILITARY  RECORD — JUDICIAL  AND 
LEGAL  CENTER  —  CAR  SHOPS  —  MT.  VERNON  OP  TODAY  —  FACTS  OP 
INTEREST. 

This  county  was  settled  in  a  very  early  day.  Zadoc  Casey,  a  young 
man  of  twenty-one,  came  with  his  mother  from  Tennessee  in  1817  and 
settled  very  near  the  future  site  of  Mt.  Vernon.  Probably  there  was 
even  that  early  a  trail  from  Carlyle  to  Equality  passing  through  the  site 
of  Mt.  Vernon  and  McLeansboro.  There  was  also  in  a  very  early  day 
a  branch  trail  running  from  Mt.  Vernon  south  through  the  site  of 
Benton  and  on  south  to  Frankfort,  where  several  trails  centered.  It  is 
not  at  all  certain  that  Zadoc  Casey  was  the  first  settler  in  the  county, 
but  he  was  without  doubt  the  first  settler  near  Mt.  Vernon.  Stinson  H. 
Anderson  was  also  an  early  comer.  There  were  enough  people  in  the 
limits  of  the  county  to  warrant  its  organization  in  1819.  At  that  time 
the  county  included  what  is  now  Jefferson  and  most  of  what  is  now 
Marion  county. 

MT.  VERNON  MADE  THE  COUNTY  SEAT 

The  commissioners  to  locate  the  county  seat  were  James  A.  Richard- 
son, Ambrose  Maulding  and  Lewis  Barker.  William  Casey  donated 
twenty  acres  for  the  benefit  of  the  county  seat.  The  court  house  was 
made  of  hewed  logs,  eighteen  by  twenty  feet,  puncheon  floor,  one  door, 
and  one  window ;  a  fire  place  and  chimney  were  added,  the  whole  costing 
$150.  The  jail  was  built  in  1820.  A  public  sale  of  lots  took  place  the 
same  year.  The  lots  brought  as  much  as  $165  each.  A  number  of  the 
names  that  we  find  in  the  old  records,  we  find  today — Casey,  Pace, 
"Watson,  Dodds,  Piercy,  Vaughn,  Yost,  Moxey,  Green,  Anderson,  etc. 

The  second  court  house  was  of  brick  and  was  built  in  1822.  The  third 
one  was  built  in  1840  after  the  model  of  the  White  county  court  house. 
More  settlers  were  coming  and  new  names  were  being  spoken,  among 
them  Hicks,  Castles,  Baltzer,  Green,  Condit,  Pavey,  etc. 

Mt.  Vernon  was  the  only  town  of  any  consequence.  All  the  early 
comers  who  did  not  settle  about  Mt.  Vernon .  were  farmers.  The  land 
was  not  rich.  Peck  in  his  "Gazetteer,"  printed  in  1837,  says:  "The 
soil  is  tolerable  second  rate  land,  about  one-third  prairie,"  and  the  rest 
fairly  well  timbered.  In  those  days  the  prairie  spots  in  a  timbered 
country  all  had  names.  Some  such  prairie  spots  in  Jefferson  were  called 
Casey's,  Jordan's,  Moore's,  Walnut  Hill,  Arm  of  Grand,  and  Long. 
Many  of  these  names  still  remain. 

489 


490 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


MILITARY  RECORD 

By  the  time  of  the  Blackhawk  war  in  1832  the  county  was  able  to 
send  a  company  to  the  front.  It  was  commanded  by  Gapt.  James 
Bowman.  In  the  war  with  Mexico  there  were  two  companies  from 
Jefferson  county,  one — Company  H — of  Col.  Forman's  regiment.  Its 
captain  was  Stephen  G.  Hicks,  who  was  colonel  of  the  Fortieth  regiment 
in  the  Civil  war.  The  other  company  was  under  Capt.  James  Bowman. 
In  the  Civil  war  many  of  the  troops  in  the  40th,  44th,  49th,  60th,  80th, 
110th,  were  Jefferson  county  boys. 

JUDICIAL  AND  LEGAL  CENTER 

After  the  revision  of  the  constitution  in  1848  the  supreme  court 
was  to  sit  in  three  places,  which  were  selected  as  Mt.  Vernon,  Spring- 


THE  OLD  SUPREME  COURT  BUILDING  IN  MT.  VERNON,  JEFFERSON  COUNTY, 
Now  USED  BY  THE  APPELLATE  COURT 

field  and  Ottawa.  A  very  striking  building  was  erected  in  Mt.  Vernon 
and  the  courts  sat  there  regularly.  Many  lawyers  made  their  homes  in 
Mt.  Vernon  and  the  presence  of  the  judges  of  the  supreme  court  and 
prominent  lawyers  gave  prominence  to  this  little  city.  The  old  supreme 
court  building  is  now  used  by  the  appellate  court  for  its  sittings.  It 
has  a  very  fine  law  library. 

CAR  SHOPS 

Mt.  Vernon  has  extensive  car  shops.  Originally  these  shops  belonged 
to  the  L.  &  N.  road,  but  they  are  now  operated  by  a  corporation  of  local 
capitalists.  They  are  a  valuable  addition  to  the  industrial  life  of  the  city. 

An  interesting  fact  is  a  part  of  Jefferson  county  history.  In  1858 
the  state  fair  was  held  at  Central  City,  two  or  three  miles  north  of 
Centralia.  A  Professor  Wilson  was  giving  balloon  ascensions.  On  the 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  491 

last  day  of  the  fair  he  ascended  and  sailed  into  Jefferson  county,  where 
he  landed  at  the  farm  house  of  a  Mr.  Harvey  in  Rome  township  near 
the  village  of  Dix.  While  talking  to  Mr.  Harvey,  Wilson  had  his  balloon 
anchored  to  a  rail  fence.  Two  of  Mr.  Harvey 's  children  wished  to  play 
in  the  basket.  They  were  allowed  to  do  so.  A  gust  of  wind  raised  the 
balloon  and  it  broke  anchorage  and  sailed  away.  It  sailed  in  a  southwest 
direction  and  was  found  the  next  morning  by  a  Mr.  Atchison  living  in 
Moore's  Prairie  township.  He  found  the  balloon  and  the  two  children 
fast  in  an  apple  tree.  They  were  rescued  and  taken  to  their  home  in 
the  northern  part  of  the  county. 

Mr.  VEBNON  OF  TODAY 

As  has  been  said,  there  are  no  towns  of  any  size  in  the  county  other 
than  Mt.  Vernon.  This  is  a  beautiful  city  of  8,007  people.  It  has  beau- 
tiful and  commodious  church  edifices,  a  modern  court  house,  the  old 
supreme  court  building,  several  ward  school  buildings,  a  very  fine  town- 
ship high  school,  and  scores  of  elegant  residences.  The  city  has  many 
miles  of  paved  streets,  is  saloonless  and  has  been  for  many  years.  It  is 
not  only  without  saloons  but  it  is  a  dry  town  as  well. 

In  1888  a  destructive  cyclone  passed  through  Mt.  Vernon  from  the 
southwest  to  the  northeast.  It  mowed  a  path  through  the  city  a  hundred 
yards  or  more  wide,  destroying  thousands  of  dollars  worth  of  property 
and  killing  thirty  people.  The  generosity  of  the  good  people  of  Southern 
Illinois  was  shown  in  the  large  quantities  of  foodstuffs,  clothing,  monav 
and  sympathy  which  poured  in  from  all  sides. 

FACTS  OP  INTEREST 

The  villages  of  the  county  are  Woodlawn  with  315  people,  Belle  Rive 
with  312,  Rome  233,  Ina  484.  It  will  thus  be  seen  the  population  is 
largely  rural.  The  total  for  the  county  is  29,111,  a  gain  of  978  since  1900. 

There  is  considerable  waste  land  in  the  county,  as  only  87.2%  of  the 
land  is  in  farms  and  only  85%  of  the  farm  land  is  improved.  The 
distribution  of  values  for  farm  property  is  68.8%  in  land;  13.9%  in 
buildings;  2.5%  in  implements  and  machinery;  14.9%  in  domestic 
animals,  etc.  This  shows  well  for  the  farmers,  since  with  poor  lands  the 
showing  good  on  buildings,  implements,  and  stock. 

The  county  slopes  to  the  south,  as  shown  by  the  drainage.  The 
principal  streams  are  the  Big  Muddy  and  its  tributary,  Casey's  Fork. 
Timber  for  purposes  of  lumber  is  scarce,  but  much  remains  for  fuel. 
Coal  is  found  but  it  is  800  feet  below  the  surface  and  mining  is  expensive. 
The  number  of  mines  reported  is  one,  with  a  tonnage  of  10,708,  all  of 
which,  excepting  400  tons,  was  consumed  locally. 

Jefferson  belongs  in  Group  9  of  the  Bankers'  Association.  The  county 
has  fifteen  banks,  seven  of  which  belong  to.  the  Bankers'  Association. 
Only  two  out  of  the  fifteen  are  national  banks. 


CHAPTER  LIV 
JOHNSON  COUNTY 

CREATED  BY  GOVERNOR  EDWARDS — AGRICULTURE  AND  STOCK  RAISING—- 
EARLY SETTLERS — SLAVERY   CONTEST    (1823-4) — MAJOR  ANDREW  J. 

KUYKENDALL CLARK    PASSED    THROUGH   THE    COUNTY. 

This  county  lies  mainly  on  the  south  slope  of  the  Ozarks,  the  main 
divide  of  the  mountains  running  east  and  west  through  the  northern 
tier  of  townships.  The  county  contains  slightly  more  than  nine  town- 
ships— Cache,  containing  a  few  sections  from  T.  14,  R.  2,  east.  The 
Cache  river  drains  the  west  side  of  the  county,  while  Cedar  Creek 
drains  the  east  third.  It  is  a  picturesque  region.  The  hills  and  valleys, 
the  bluffs  and  gaps,  beautiful  farms,  quiet  homes  nestling  among  the 
hills,  cattle  on  a  thousand  hillsides,  all  give  the  visitor  a  surprise  and 
interest  from  every  angle  of  observation. 

CREATED  BY  GOVERNOR  EDWARDS 

The  county  is  one  of  the  oldest,  having  been  created  by  proclamation 
of  Governor  Edwards  the  14th  day  of  September,  1812. 

A  PROCLAMATION 

And  I  do  lay  off  a  county  or  district  to  be  called  Johnson  county,  to  be 
bounded  as  follows,  viz.:  To  begin  at  the  mouth  of  Lusk's  Creek  on  the  Ohio; 
thence  with  the  line  of  Gallatin  county  to  Big  Muddy;  thence  down  Big  Muddy 
and  the  Mississippi  to  mouth  of  the  Ohio,  and  up  the  Ohio  to  the  beginning. 
And  I  do  appoint  the  house  of  John  Bradshaw  to  be  the  seat  of  Justice  for 
Johnson  county. 

Done  at  Kaskaskia  the  14th  day  of  September,  1812,  and  the  Independence 
of  the  United  States  the  thirty-seventh. 

By  the  Governor. 

Nathaniel   Pope,   Secretary.  XIXIAX  EDWARDS. 

By  tracing  this  boundary  it  will  be  seen  that  Johnson  includes  a 
part  or  the  whole  of  Jackson,  Williamson,  Saline,  Pope,  Johnson,  Union, 
Alexander,  Pulaski  and  Massac  counties. 

AGRICULTURE  AND  STOCK  RAISING 

It  is  not  an  agricultural  county  like  the  prairie  counties  of  central 
Illinois,  and  yet  agriculture  and  stock  raising  are  the  principal  activities. 
The  abundance  of  fine  spring  water,  and  fine  grasses  which  are  found  on 
the  hillsides,  make  stock  raising  a  delight.  Within  recent  years  much 

492 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  493 

attention  has  been  given  to  fine  grades  of  cattle  and  to  dairying  grades. 
The  state  has  established  an  experiment  farm  just  east  of  Vienna  and 
the  local  farmers'  institute  is  in  a  flourishing  condition.  The  number 
of  farms  is  put  down  in  the  census  report  as  1,962,  which  is  a  loss  of  18 
in  ten  years.  The  size  of  the  farms  averages  102  acres,  but  only  73  acres 
per  farm  is  improved  lands.  The  distribution  of  values  of  all  farm 
property  is  63.1%  in  lands;  17.5%  in  buildings;  2.5%^  in  machinery; 
17%  in  domestic  animals,  etc.  This  is  a  very  interesting  table.  Only 
one  county  in  the  state  surpasses  Johnson  in  the  percentage  of  value 
in  domestic  animals  and  that  is  Pope,  with  19.5%.  Pope  also  is  the  only 
county  which  has  a  smaller  percentage  in  land — 59.6%. 

There  are  still  good  timber  areas  in  Johnson  county.    All  along  the 
Cache  river  there  afe  good  lumber  forests.     Cypress  grows  toward  the 


ON  OAKDALE  FARM,  WHITTENBERG  BROS.,  PROPRIETORS,  VIENNA, 
JOHNSON  COUNTY 

south  side  of  the  county.  Here  are  vast  swamps  that  have  never  been 
drained,  and  in  these  the  cypress  trees  flourish.  These  swamps  are  now 
in  process  of  draining  and  within  a  few  years  we  may  see  corn  growing 
where  now  are  the  noted  black  swamps. 

Johnson  county  has  no  coal.  No  coal  is  found  south  of  the  Ozarks. 
There  is  in  this  county  a  variety  of  building  material  in  the  form  of 
sandstone,  limestone  and  the  clays.  In  many  of  the  bluffs  these  stones 
are  easily  quarried,  but  there  is  not  much  demand  for  building  material 
of  this  kind  except  for  foundations.  In  many  localities  there  are  very 
large  sink  holes,  which  indicates  the  presence  of  caverns  into  which  the 
land  has  sunk.  These  have  the  appearance  of  a  funnel  and  are  often 
several  yards  across  and  several  feet  deep.  The  native  grasses  are  very 
plentiful  and  constitute  a  large  share  of  the  grazing  lands. 


494  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

EAKLY  SETTLERS 

The  earliest  settlers  were  located  in  the  northwest  and  the  northeast 
parts  of  the  county.  Elvira  was  settled  in  1806,  while  Ray's  settlement 
in  the  northeast  corner  of  the  county  was  made  in  1803.  In  1815  the 
county  seat  was  at  Elvira.  It  was  later  moved  to  Vienna.  This  town 
was  begun  about  1814  or  1815.  It  was  located  on  the  road  from 
Golconda  to  Jonesboro  and  either  at  or  near  the  crossing  of  the  road 
from  Fort  Massac  to  Kaskaskia.  A  map  published  in  Philadelphia  in 
1822  by  the  American  Atlas  Co.  shows  Vienna  on  the  road  from  Port 
Massac  to  Kaskaskia.  In  1837  the  town  contained  not  over  30  families. 
130  to  150  people,  three  stores,  and  the  court  house. 

Shadrach  Bond,  delegate  in  congress,  writing  to  Governor  Ninian 
Edwards  under  date  of  February  14,  1814,  says  he  will  try  to  get  a  bill 


IN  THE  DEPTHS  OF  THE  WOODS  IN  JOHNSON  COUNTY 

through  congress  establishing  a  post  road  from  Kaskaskia  to  the  court 
house  in  Johnson  county.  And  in  a  later  communication  to  Governor 
Edwards  he  reports  that  the  bill  went  through  and  the  post  road  was 
assured. 

SLAVERY  CONTEST  (1823-4) 

In  the  contest  which  raged  in  Illinois  from  1823  to  1824  over  the 
question  of  making  Illinois  a  slave  state,  Johnson  county  was  evenly 
divided.  When  the  votes  were  counted  it  was  found  that  she  had  given 
74  votes  for  slavery  and  74  for  freedom.  At  that  time  Johnson  included 
the  west  half  of  Massac,  as  it  is  today,  and  a  portion  of  the  eastern 
part  of  Pulaski.  It  was  so  close  to  Kentucky  that  it  is  not  strange  that 
the  slavery  vote  was  so  large. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  495 

MAJOR  ANDREW  J.  KUYKENDALL 

Probably  the  most  noted  citizen  of  Johnson  county,  at  least  in  the 
early  50 's,  was  Major  Andrew  J.  Kuykendall.  He  was  a  lawyer  of 
great  force  and  a  patriotic  citizen.  When  the  war  of  the  Rebellion  came 
on  he  entered  the  service  as  major  of  the  31st  regiment,  whose  colonel 
was  John  A.  Logan.  He  was  an  ardent  Democrat,  but  a  loyal  one.  His 
influence  for  the  Union  was  felt  far  and  near.  In  1863,  when  the  legis 
lature  was  passing  resolutions  demanding  a  cessation  of  hostilities,  the 
Douglas  Club  of  Vienna  held  a  public  meeting,  which  was  largely 
attended  by  people  of  all  shades  of  political  belief.  After  a  very  free 


SCENE  ON  THE  FARM  OP  HON.  P.  S.  CHAPMAN,  VIENNA 

and  frank  discussion  of  the  exigencies  of  the  situation,  the  Douglas  Club 
passed  the  following  resolution : 

"Resolved,  That  as  citizens  of  Illinois  and  as  Democrats,  we  are  in 
favor  of  the  continued  and  vigorous  prosecution  of  the  war  until  the 
supremacy  of  the  constitution  is  acknowledged  in  every  state  in  the 
Union ;  that  we  are  in  favor  of  the  administration 's  using  every  constitu- 
tional means  for  the  purpose  of  crushing  the  rebellion  and  restoring  the 
Union ;  that  the  errors  of  the  administration,  while  they  should  not  be 
adopted  by  the  people,  form  no  excuse  for  any  loyal  citizen  to  withhold 
his  support  from  the  government.  We  are  inflexibly  opposed  to  the 
secession  heresy  of  a  northwestern  confederacy,  and  will  resist  it  with 
our  lives,  our  fortunes,  and  our  sacred  honor." 

There  can  be  little  doubt  that  these  resolutions  reflect  the  influence 
of  Mr.  Kuykendall. 

CLARK  PASSED  THROUGH  THE  COUNTY 

Johnson  county  is  very  proud  of  the  fact  that  Gen.  George  Rogers 
Clark  passed  through  its  territory  on  his  way  from  Fort  Massac  to 


496  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

Kaskaskia  in  1778.  A  recent  movement  by  some  members  of  the  D.  A.  R. 
under  the  leadership  of  Mrs.  Pleasant  S.  Chapman  of  Vienna,  looks 
toward  the  marking  of  the  route  at  the  point  of  nearest  approach 
to  Vienna.  Recent  communications  with  Dr.  Reuben  Gold  Thwaites, 
secretary  of  the  Wisconsin  Historical  Society,  has  confirmed  the  general 
impression  that  Clark  passed  near  Vienna.  As  near  as  it  can  now  be 
stated,  Clark  entered  the  county  a  mile  east  of  where  the  Big  Four 
crosses  the  Cache,  or  at  the  middle  point  of  Section  32,  T.  13,  R.  3,  east. 
From  there,  north  and  west  over  Indian  Point,  to  the  Mrs.  Wright  farm 
in  Section  1,  T.  13,  R.  2,  east.  From  here  to  the  village  of  Buncombe, 
and  thence  north  through  Buffalo  Gap  and  north  by  Goreville  and  on 
to  Pulley's  Mill,  etc.  Without  doubt  a  monument  or  marker  will  be 
placed  on  the  public  road  running  west  from  Vienna  to  West  Vienna  at 
a  point  two  miles  west  of  the  former  town. 


CHAPTER  LV 
LAWRENCE  COUNTY 

PIONEER  FRENCH  SETTLERS — THE  DEEP  SNOW  AND  MILK  SICKNESS — 
SCHOOLS  —  CHARLOTTESVILLE  —  OLD  TRAILS  ACROSS  THE  COUNTY  — 
LAWRENCEVILLE,  THE  COUNTY  SEAT — OIL  AND  GAS  WELLS. 

This  county  lies  along  the  Wabash  with  Crawford  on  the  north, 
Richland  on  the  west  and  Wabash  to  the  south.  It  was  carved  out  of 
Edwards  and  Crawford  in  1821,  January  16. 

The  early  settlers  no  doubt  spread  westward  across  the  Wabash  from 
Vincennes.  Just  west  of  Vincennes,  and  especially  to  the  northwest, 
the  soil  is  very  fertile.  A  part  of  the  country  here  is  called  Allison's 
Prairie  or  Allison  Prairie.  It  is  ten  miles  long  and  five  miles  wide.  The 
soil  is  very  fertile.  Settlers  were  in  this  prairie  by  1816.  These  people 
were  from  Ohio  and  were  all  members  of  the  Christian  church.  Just 
east  of  Allison's  Prairie  are  unhealthful  swamps,  and  from  these  the 
early  settlers  suffered.  St.  Francisville  was  settled  probably  as  early  as 
Allison  Prairie.  It  is  at  the  southeast  corner. 

PIONEER  FRENCH  SETTLERS 

Directly  across  the  Wabash  from  Vincennes  and  for  some  miles  up 
and  down  the  river  there  are  shown  on  the  old  maps  French  grants. 
These  are  usually  very  narrow  but  sometimes  they  run  back  into  the 
country  a  mile.  On  one  of  these  old  French  grants  there  lived  a  noted 
Canadian  Frenchman,  Touissant  Dubois,  who  came  to  Dubois  hill  near 
Vincennes,  on  the  Illinois  side,  in  1780.  Here  he  took  up  his  residence 
under  the  stars  and  stripes.  He  was  a  warm  friend  of  General  Harrison 
and  fought  with  him  in  the  battle  of  Tippecanoe  in  1811.  Touissant 
Dubois  also  owned  1,000  acres  just  where  Lawrenceville  is  now.  Here 
he  built  a  residence  and  planted  an  orchard,  the  first  in  all  that  region. 
Touissant  Dubois  was  the  father  of  Jesse  K.  Dubois,  a  warm  friend  of 
Abraham  Lincoln  from  1834  to  the  death  of  the  president. 

In  1812  two  forts  were  built,  one  at  St.  Francisville  and  one  at 
Russellville.  These  were  probably  built  by  early  French  settlers,  as  there 
were  few  if  any  English-speaking  people  in  those  localities.  A  white 
child  by  the  name  of  Fyffe  was  born  in  the  fort  at  Russellville.  Frank 
Tougas  was  the  first  white  child  born  in  the  county,  his  birth  occurring 
in  1803.  Dr.  Burget  came  to  the  county  at  a  very  early  day.  He  is 
said  to  have  learned  all  he  knew  from  his  wife.  He  lived  on  the  west 
side  of  the  county.  Another  doctor  was  Jonathan  L.  Flanders,  who  was 
so  strong  he  could  drink  whisky  from  the  bunghole  of  a  full  barrel. 

Vol.  1—31 

497 


498  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

He  could  work  his  ears  like  a  donkey — a  very  remarkable  man !  Prob- 
ably the  oldest  person  now  living  in  the  county  is  Mr.  John  Pinkstaff, 
living  near  Russellville.  He  is  93  years  old.  Mrs.  Sarah  H.  Millhouse 
is  above  ninty.  One,  Barney  McMahon,  who  came  to  the  county  from 
Ireland  many  years  ago,  died  recently  at  the  age  of  122. 

THE  DEEP  SNOW  AND  MILK  SICKNESS 

The  old  settlers  remember  the  deep  snow  of  the  winter  of  1830.  It 
completely  covered  the  staked  fences.  The  animals  became  very  poor 
and  many  died  of  starvation.  The  crust  which  formed  on  top  of  the 
snow  was  so  strong  that  the  people  drove  their  sleds  and  sleighs  over  the 
tops  of  fences  and  across  streams. 

Milk  sickness  was  prevalent  over  the  county  each  fall  for  many 
years.  Settlers  were  accustomed  to  keep  their  cows  in  their  lots  or  small 
pastures  to  prevent  them  from  eating  the  weeds,  buds,  leaves,  or  what- 
ever brought  on  the  disease.  People  were  supposed  to  catch  the  disease 
through  the  use  of  the  milk  or  butter.  The  diagnosis  of  the  case  was 
usually  chills,  fever,  weakness,  and  a  recurrence  of  the  symptoms  and 
the  disease  each  year.  It  frequently  resulted  fatally. 

SCHOOLS 

The  character  of  the  schools  in  this  county  was  not  different  from 
that  in  other  Southern  Illinois  localities.  The  houses  were  usually  log 
structures  with  the  crudest  furnishings.  The  teachers  were  of  an  inferior 
sort  as  measured  by  good  teachers  today.  The  first  school  taught  in 
Lawrence  county  was  in  1817.  In  1819  a  Mrs.  Martin  taught  a  school. 
A  Mr.  Martin  taught  at  a  point  where  afterward  the  first  schoolhouse 
and  church  were  established.  It  was  near  the  residence  of  Mr.  William 
Kincaid.  Among  the  earliest  places  where  schools  were  taught  were  on 
Allison  Prairie,  at  Russellville,  and  at  Springhill.  One,  Adam  Shepherd, 
a  Greek  and  Latin  scholar,  taught  in  this  county  in  the  early  30  's. 

In  recent  years  there  has  been  a  great  advance  in  the  character  of 
the  school  work.  High  schools  are  established  in  all  the  towns,  and 
since  the  discovery  of  oil,  the  people  are  putting  their  surplus  money 
into  good  school  buildings. 

CHARLOTTESVILLE 

Charlottesville,  on  the  Embarras,  was  a  village  in  1819.  It  bid  fair 
to  become  an  important  town  but  the  building  of  an  iron  bridge  across 
the  Embarras  a  few  miles  below  ruined  the  prospects  of  the  town. 
Charlottesville  is  a  forgotten  town.  This  village  was  founded  by  the 
Shakers,  a  religious  body  of  people  who  are  exemplary  in  all  their  walks 
of  life. 

Col.  William  M.  Small  was  in  the  limits  of  the  county  as  early  as 
1797  and  lived  till  late  in  the  nineteenth  century.  He  has  left  by  word 
of  mouth  many  facts  concerning  the  early  history  of  the  county. 

OLD  TRAILS  ACROSS  THE  COUNTY 

Mr.  P.  W.  Sutherland,  an  estimable  gentleman  living  at  Sumner  in 
the  western  part  of  the  county,  has  made  careful  investigation  of  the  old 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


499 


traces  or  trails  across  the  county,  and  he  writes  as  follows :  ' '  There  were 
three  important  trails  leading  through  the  county.  One,  the  Cahokia 
trail,  another  the  Kaskaskia  trail,  and  a  third  the  Shawnee  trail.  These 
trails  have  been  confused  by  writers.  The  Cahokia  trail  was  the  most 
northern  and  runs  from  east  to  west  a  mile  and  a  half  north  of  the 
B.  &  O.  It  passes  through  Lawrenceville  on  the  street  north  of  the 
court  house,  runs  through  Olney  on  Main  street.  The  Kaskaskia  trail 
ran  east  and  west,  parallel  to  this,  but  one-half  to  three-fourths  of  a  mile 
to  the  south  till  it  reaches  a  point  two  miles  east  of  Bridgeport,  where 
it  bends  to  the  southeast  and  crosses  the  Embarras  river  at  Mussel  Shoals, 
which  lies  in  a  big  bend  of  the  river.  Thence  on  east  to  the  Wabash. 
This  is  the  route  the  old  settlers  think  Clark  took  in  the  capture  of 
Vincennes.  The  Cahokia  trace  crosses  the  Embarras  immediately  east  of 


THE  LAWRENCEVILLE,  LAWRENCE  COUNTY,  HIGH  SCHOOL 

Lawrenceville.  The  Shawneetown  trace  ran  along  the  Wabash  close 
to  the  towns  of  West  Salem,  Lancaster  and  St.  Prancisville,  joining  the 
Kaskaskia  trace  at  Mussel  Shoals ;  thence  to  Vincennes. ' ' 

LAWRENCEVILLE,  THE  COUNTY  SEAT 

The  county  seat,  Lawrenceville,  is  a  prosperous  county  seat  town. 
It  is  situated  on  high  ground  just  west  of  the  Embarras  river,  a  little 
to  the  north  of  a  west  line  from  Vincennes.  Its  population  is  3,235. 
It  is  well  supplied  with  schools  and  churches.  The  oil  industry  has  filled 
the  coffers  of  Lawrence  county  people  and  they  lack  for  nothing.  Bridge- 
port, which  was  a  small  station  and  country  village,  has  grown  to  a  city 
of  2,703  people  with  all  the  city  machinery.  Sumner  has  also  grown, 
but  not  as  the  other  towns. 

• 
OIL  AND  GAS  WELLS 

Oil  was  first  discovered  in  a  shallow  well  in  the  vicinity  of  Casey  a 
half  century  ago.  It  was  not  developed,  however,  until  1904,  when  a 


500  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

Mr.  Hoblitzel  began  its  development  by  drilling  in  a  well  north  of  the  city 
of  Casey.  The  development  soon  spread  to  the  surrounding  counties 
and  to  the  south,  until  wells  are  now  producing  in  Clark,  Cumberland, 
Edgar,  Coles,  Crawford  and  Lawrence  counties.  Crawford  has  the 
greatest  area  and  largest  number  of  wells  of  this  group  of  counties,  but 
Lawrence,  with  a  smaller  area  and  about  one-third  as  many  wells,  pro- 
duces more  oil  than  Crawford. 

The  depth  of  the  wells  range  from  a  few  hundred  feet  in  the  northern 
counties  to  1,900  feet  in  Lawrence  county.  Thus  far  Lawrence  county 
has  seven  different  depths  of  producing  oil  sand.  The  deep  sand  wells 
are  usually  the  best  producers.  Some  of  these  wells  starting  with  a  flow 
of  from  2,500  to  3,000  barrels  a  day  and  continuing  to  flow  with  a 
gradual  decrease  in  production  for  several  months,  until  the  flow  stops 


THE  PRODUCT  OP  LAWRENCE  COUNTY 

and  they  are  then  pumped.  The  shallower  wells  are  usually  pumpers 
from  the  start  and  make  from  a  few  barrels  to  several  hundred  barrels 
(42  gallons  per  barrel),  but  soon  diminish  in  production,  and  after  a  few 
years  pumping  they  are  pulled.  The  deep  wells  hold  up  the  production 
much  better  and  will  last  for  ten  to  twenty  years  or  more.  These  counties 
make  Illinois  the  third  in  rank  of  states  in  the  Union  as  to  production 
of  oil.  In  1910  these  counties  produced  more  than  30,000,000  barrels 
of  oil,  which  sold  for  more  than  $19,000,000. 

Of  this  production  the  land  owner  usually  gets  one-eighth  of  the  oil 
produced  on  his  land,  without  any  cost  of  production  or  delivery  into 
pipe  line  to  him.  More  than  27,000,000  barrels  of  the  crude  oil  is  taken 
by  the  Ohio  Pipe  Line  company  and  run  through  pipe  lines  to  Alton,  111., 
and  Whiting,  Ind.,  to  the  great  refineries  located  in  those  places.  Some 
of  the  remainder  is  taken  to  the  eastern  refineries  by  the  Tidewater  Pipe 
Line  company ;  some  is  shipped  out  over  the  railroads ;  some  is  refined  in 
the  independent  refineries  in  the  field,  and  the  remainder  is  used  for 
fuel  and  on  the  roads. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  501 

All  the  strong  oil  wells  produce  some  gas  and  there  are  several  strong 
gas  wells  in  Lawrence  and  Crawford  counties.  These  have  been  con- 
nected up  and  are  furnishing  fuel  for  the  cities  of  Robinson,  Vincennes, 
Lawrenceville,  Sumner,  Bridgeport  and  Olney.  In  the  field  the  gas  is 
used  by  the  oil  companies  for  fuel  in  drilling  the  wells  and  in  the 
engines  at  the  power  houses. 

Since  the  discovery  of  oil  in  these  eastern  counties  there  has  been 
less  activity  in  agricultural  pursuits.  The  average  corn  crop  was  36 
bushels  to  the  acre,  with  an  acreage  of  54,766  for  1910.  "Wheat  averaged 
20  bushels  to  the  acre;  potatoes  111  bushels  to  the  acre,  with  a  yield 
of  slightly  more  than  a  ton  to  the  acre  for  all  kinds  of  forage. 


CHAPTER  LVI 
MARION  COUNTY 

AGRICULTURE  AND  LIVE  STOCK — OLD  SALEM,  THE  COUNTY  SEAT — ' '  STATE 
POLICY"  ABANDONED — FATHER  OP  WILLIAM  J.  BRYAN — GEN.  JAMES 
S.  MARTIN — THE  PRESENT  SALEM  AND  CENTRALIA — LATE  DISCOVERY 
OP  OIL. 

Marion  county  lies  north  of  Jefferson,  east  of  Clinton,  south  of 
Fayette,  west  of  Clay  and  Wayne.  It  is  generally  level,  though  well 
drained  by  branches  of  the  Kaskaskia  in  the  west  and  north,  and  by 
Skillett  Fork,  a  branch  of  the  Little  Wabash  in  the  southeast.  It  lies 
therefore  on  the  "divide"  and  in  the  "Grand  Prairie"  which  the  early 
settlers  described. 

AGRICULTURE  AND  LIVE  STOCK 

The  county  was  organized  January  24,  1823.  It  is  twenty-four  miles 
square — four  townships  each  way.  It  is  mostly  prairie  lands  with  con- 
siderable timber  along  the  larger  streams.  The  soil  is  not  of  the  best 
quality  and  much  of  the  ground  is  not  naturally  well  drained.  Con- 
siderable areas  have  been  tiled  and  where  this  has  been  done  there  is  a 
marked  improvement  in  returns  to  the  farmer.  Much  attention  has 
been  given  to  apple  orchards.  The  soil  seems  to  be  adapted  to  the 
growing  of  all  kinds  of  fruit.  The  farmers  have  had  to  contend  with 
the  usual  drawbacks,  the  various  insects,  the  cold  winters,  and  often 
the  summer  drouths,  but  in  spite  of  these  the  apple  crop  is  perhaps  as 
remunerative  as  any  other  agricultural  product.  Strawberries,  black- 
berries, raspberries  and  kindred  crops  do  well,  and  are  produced  in 
large  quantities. 

There  are  1,279  farms  of  100  acres  or  over,  and  2,156  farms  of  less 
than  100  acres.  The  per  cent  of  lands  in  farms  is  92.2,  and  of  this  85.5% 
is  improved.  This  gives  78.4%  of  all  the  lands  of  the  county  as  improved 
lands.  The  distribution  of  values  in  all  farm  property  is  as  follows: 
71.4%  in  lands,  13.8%  in  buildings,  2.1%  in  implements,  etc.,  12.7%i  in 
animals,  etc.  The  average  value  of  land  per  acre  is  $39.45.  In  1900  the 
value  per  acre  was  put  down  at  $19.45.  The  average  value  of  farm 
lands  for  the  state  is  $95.02,  while  the  average  for  1900  was  $46.17.  The 
distribution  of  animals  and  their  values  on  3.314  farms  out  of  a  total 
of  3,435  farms,  is  as  follows :  Total  value  of  domestic  animals,  $2,192,560. 
Cattle,  18,860 ;  value  $492,394.  Horses,  13,206 ;  value  $1,231,697.  Mules, 
2,407;  value  $233,479.  Asses,  113;  value  $15.706.  Swine,  21,393; 
value  $147,991.  Sheep,  17,191;  value  $71,172.  Goats,  51;  value  $121. 

502 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  503 

Two-thirds  of  all  the  farms  in  the  county  are  free  from  mortgage.  The 
corn  crop  reported  in  1910  was  24  bushels  per  acre;  oats,  31  bushels 
per  acre ;  wheat,  21  bushels  per  acre ;  potatoes,  81  bushels  per  acre ;  hay 
and  forage  of  all  kinds,  less  than  one  ton  per  acre. 

OLD  SALEM,  THE  COUNTY  SEAT 

Salem,  the  county  seat,  is  a  very  old  town.  It  was  settled  in  1623. 
It  is  situated  a  mile  south  and  west  of  the  center  of  the  county.  It  is  on 
the  old  trail  from.  St.  Louis  to  Vincennes  and  at  the  crossing  of  that 
trail  and  the  old  Kaskasia  and  Detroit  trail.  The  St.  Louis  and 
Vincennes  trail  was  made  a  mail  route  in  1805.  Governor  Reynolds  tells 
in  his  "History  of  My  Own  Times"  of  transporting  some  money  from 
Vincennes  to  St.  Louis  in  1815.  He  said  he  was  acting  for  Paymaster 
Hempstead  of  Vincennes,  and  took  the  money  to  Paymaster  Major 
Douglass  in  St.  Louis.  There  were  $15,000.  Governor  Reynolds  says 
he  had  two  trusty  Frenchmen  as  guards.  He  says:  "There  was  no 
settlement  at  that  day  between  Vincennes  and  the  Kaskaskia  river." 
He  passed  by  the  site  of  Salem,  on  through  Carlyle  and  to  St.  Louis. 

The  growth  of  Salem  must  have  been  slow,  as  in  1837  it  is  reported 
to  have  had  only  about  thirty  families.  Walnut  Hill,  six  miles  south- 
east of  Centralia,  is  an  old  settled  neighborhood,  and  in  the  early  days 
was  probably  a  larger  place  than  Salem,  though  most  of  the  settlers 
were  farmers. 

"STATE  POLICY"  ABANDONED 

In  the  general  assembly  which  met  in  the  winter  of  1848-9  a  policy 
was  inaugurated  known  as  the  "State  Policy,"  which  looked  to  the 
building  up  of  cities  within  our  own  state.  There  were  applications 
for  charters  for  railroads  from  the  Indiana  line  to  a  point  opposite 
St.  Louis.  These  roads  would,  of  course,  benefit  the  territory  through 
•which  they  would  run  but  would  tend  to  build  up  St.  Louis  at  the 
expense  of  Alton  and  other  Illinois  towns.  The  charters  were  refused 
and  all  Southern  Illinois  was  up  in  arms  in  protest  against  this  "State 
Policy. ' '  To  express  the  general  dissatisfaction  of  the  people  in  the  south 
end  of  the  state  a  monster  meeting  was  planned  to  be  held  in  Salem  in 
June,  1849.  To  this  meeting  1,000  delegates  came  and  as  many  as  four 
or  five  thousand  other  interested  citizens.  Governor  Zadoc  Casey  pre- 
sided and  the  principal  address  was  made  by  William  Smith  Waite  of 
Bond  county.  (Mr.  Waite  was  the  one  who  suggested  the  Illinois 
Central  railroad,  originally.)  The  meeting  at  Salem  denounced  the 
"State  Policy"  as  being  detrimental  to  the  development  of  Southern 
Illinois.  This  meeting  at  Salem  was  so  far  reaching  in  its  influence  that 
the  opposition  felt  the  need  of  counteracting  it  and  so  called  a  meeting  at 
Hillsboro,  which  was  attended  by  as  many  as  10,000  people.  The  "State 
Policy"  was  eventually  abandoned. 

FATHER  OF  WILLIAM  J.  BKYAN 

In  the  year  1851  there  came  to  Salem  a  young  lawyer,  recently  a 
graduate  from  McKendree,  by  the  name  of  Silas  Lillard  Bryan.  He 
was  a  Democrat,  with  office-holding  proclivities.  In  1852  he  was  elected 


504  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

to  the  general  assembly  and  later  to  a  circuit  judgeship.  He  was  an 
influential  man  in  the  councils  of  his  party  and  a  valuable  citizen.  On 
March  19,  1860,  there  was  born  to  Judge  and  Mrs.  Bryan  a  son, 
William,  whom  the  world  knows  too  well  to  need  any  words  from  the 
writer.  The  old  Bryan  homestead  still  stands  in  Salem  and  the  desk 
is  still  pointed  out  at  which  William  sat  as  he  conned  his  lessons  and 
dreamed  dreams  of  future  greatness  and  usefulness. 

GEN.  JAMES  S.  MARTIN 

No  sketch  of  Salem  would  be  complete  if  it  omitted  to  mention 
another  distinguished  patriot  and  citizen.  This  was  Gen.  James  S. 
Martin,  who  with  his  parents  came  to  Marion  county  in  1846.  He  served 


THE  CHILDHOOD  HOME  OF  HON.  WILLIAM  J.  BRYAN,  SALEM,  MARION 

COUNTY 

in  the  Mexican  war  and  afterwards  held  civil  positions.  He  was  colonel 
of  the  lllth,  and  was  breveted  brigadier  general  at  the  close  of  the  war. 
He  was  for  a  while  United  States  pension  agent  and  later  a  member  of 
congress  from  his  district.  He  was  department  commander  of  the  Illinois 
G.  A.  R.  for  1889-90.  He  recently  died  at  his  home  in  Salem. 

No  less  distinguished  a  soldier  and  citizen  was  Maj.  Gen.  Wesley 
Merritt,  whose  father  was  prominent  as  a  journalist  in  the  50 's  and  60  'a. 
Gen.  Merritt  graduated  from  West  Point  in  1860.  He  rose  to  the  rank 
of  major  general.  He  was  in  command  of  the  troops  that  occupied  the 
Philippines  and  acted  as  military  governor  for  a  time. 

THE  PRESENT  SALEM  AND  CENTRALIA 

The  city  of  Salem  is  indeed  a  beautiful  city.  Years  ago.  when  other 
towns  were  asleep  and  their  patrons  from  the  rural  districts  were 
dragging  through  their  muddy  streets,  Salem  was  paving  her  streets. 
It  has  two  main  lines  of  railroad,  the  M.  &  0.  Southwestern  and  the 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  505 

C.  &  E.  I.  In  addition  there  is  the  Illinois  Southern,  which  connects 
Chester  and  St.  Elmo.  The  city  has  beautiful  churches,  handsome 
residences,  and  prosperous  business  concerns.  It  has  an  abundance  of 
shade,  which  makes  the  city  a  delight  in  summer. 

Centralia,  the  largest  city  in  Marion  county,  has  a  population  of 
9,680  people,  329  of  whom  live  across  the  line  in  Clinton  county.  This 
city  came  into  being  as  the  result  of  the  building  of  the  Illinois  Central 
railroad.  There  were  two  rival  sites  for  the  location  of  the  future  city. 
The  railroad  first  planned  to  put  its  shops,  etc.,  near  Crooked  Creek,  the 
present  site  of  Central  City,  but  because  the  land  speculators  were  too 
greedy,  it  is  said  the  company  moved  south  to  the  present  Centralia. 
This  was  in  1853.  During  this  year  Centralia  was  laid  off  by  Jones, 
Gregory  &  Hickney.  Lots  were  bought  and  interest  was  so  keen  that 
additions  to  the  original  plat  were  made.  Thomas  Green  built  the  first 
house  in  Centralia.  It  was  a  log  house  and  was  a  sort  of  hotel  or  board- 
ing house  to  accommodate  the  men  who  were  working  on  the  railroad. 

In  recent  years  several  railroads  have  centered  in  Centralia  and  her 
transportation  facilities  are  unsurpassed  in  Southern  Illinois.  Among 
these  roads  are  the  Illinois  Central,  Illinois  Southern,  Louisville,  Evans- 
ville  &  St.  Louis,  and  Jacksonville,  Litchfield  &  St.  Louis. 

Centralia  has  a  number  of  shops,  factories,  mines,  etc.,  where  the 
laboring  people  can  secure  work  at  all  times.  Probably  the  greatest 
source  of  wealth  to  the  community  is  to  be  found  in  the  coal  mines. 
There  were  seven  mines  reported  in  1911  for  the  county.  Four  of  these 
are  in  Centralia,  one  at  Odin,  two  at  Sandoval.  These  seven  mines  put 
out  1,134,377  tons  in  1910. 

There  are  also  several  small  but  prosperous  towns  in  this  county, 
among  which  are  Kinmundy,  Odin,  Vernon,  Patoka,  Sandoval,  luka, 
and  several  country  stores  and  postoffices  combined. 

LATE  DISCOVERY  OF  OIL 

The  latest  matters  of  interest  in  this  county  is  the  discovery  of  oil. 
A  recent  report  says:  "The  Sandoval  field  of  Marion  county  in  1911 
was  clearly  defined  and  found  limited  to  about  three-fourths  of  a  square 
mile.  There  are  66  producing  wells  that  have  a  daily  yield  of  1,800 
barrels. ' ' 


CHAPTER  LVII 
MASSAC  COUNTY 

OLD  FORT  MASSAC  —  METROPOLIS  LAID  OFF  —  BROOKPORT  (FORMERLY 
BROOKLYN)— JOPPA-^DRAINAGE  AND  AGRICULTURE — THE  OLD  FORT 
TO  BE  PRESERVED. 

This  is  an  Ohio  river  county,  lying  along  that  stream  from  the  point 
or  bend  where  the  river  starts  definitely  westward  toward  the  Mississippi. 
It  was  created  in  1843,  March  3.  The  territory  was  taken  from  Pope 
and  from  Johnson.  It  is  one  of  the  smaller  counties,  having  an  area 
of  only  240  square  miles,  and  a  population  of  14,200  souls. 

OLD  FORT  MASSAC 

The  first  white  people  in  this  county  were  of  course  the  soldiers  that 
were  stationed  at  old  Fort  Massac.  The  story  of  the  founding  of  the 
fort  is  veiled  in  obscurity.  It  seems  to  have  been  there  or  was  located 
there  during  the  French  and  Indian  war,  which  lasted  from  1754  to  1763. 
One  date  for  the  fort's  origin  is  1759.  "When  the  retreating  French 
who  had  been  driven  from  Fort  Duquesne  arrived  at  this  point  they 
halted,  and  if  the  old  fort  was  there  they  occupied  it,  and  if  there 
was  none  they  may  have  built  one.  At  least  in  a  description  of  the 
forts  surrendered  to  the  British  by  the  French  in  1763,  one  clause  is 
as  follows:  "Thirteen  leagues  from  the  Mississippi,  on  the  left  bank 
(right  bank)  of  the  Ohio,  is  Fort  Massac,  or  Assumption,  built  in  1757 
or  1758,  a  little  below  the  mouth  of  the  Cherokee."  In  1766  Captain 
Harry  Gordon,  chief  engineer  in  the  western  department,  visited  the 
old  fort  and  says:  "Halted  at  Fort  Massac,  formerly  a  French  post." 

In  1778  Gen.  George  Rogers  Clark  arrived  at  Fort  Massac,  where 
he  left  his  boats  and  began  his  journey  overland  to  Kaskaskia.  There 
was  probably  no  one  about  the  fort  at  that  time,  and  it  is  odd  that 
Clark  says  nothing  about  the  fort  that  would  give  one  any  picture  as 
to  its  physical  aspect. 

In  1804  Aaron  Burr  visited  Fort  Massac.  It  was  June  and  he  spent 
four  days  with  Gen.  Wilkinson,  who  was  there  at  that  time,  though 
Captain  Daniel  Bissell  was  the  officer  in  command.  He  had  in  his  charge 
forty  United  States  troops. 

METROPOLIS  LAID  OFF 

There  were,  evidently,  many  settlers  within  the  present  limits  of  the 
county  prior  to  its  separation  from  Pope  and  Johnson,  but  the  town  of 

506 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


507 


Metropolis  was  not  laid  off  till  1839.  The  proprietors  of  the  new  town 
seem  to  have  been  J.  H.  G.  Wilcox  and  William  McBaen.  The  streets 
are  parallel  to  the  river,  cut  by  others  at  right  angles.  The  river  at 
this  point  runs  north  of  west,  so  that  the  town  is  not  "square  with  the 
world."  Near  to  Metropolis,  in  fact  joining  it,  is  the  town  of  Massae 
City,  which  was  settled  probably  before  Metropolis  was  laid  off.  This 
town  is  just  above  the  city  and  in  it  are  the  mills  and  factories  which 
have  given  Metropolis  its  importance.  Thousands  of  logs  are  brought 
down  the  Ohio,  the  Tennessee  and  the  Cumberland  for  the  great  mills 
at  Metropolis,  Mound  City  and  Cairo.  Among  these  lumber  industries 
are  the  large  saw  mills  proper,  spoke  factories,  box  factories  and  fruit 
package  concerns.  One  feature  in  connection  with  nearly  all  these 
industries  that  work  in  wood  is  the  drying  kilns.  The  logs  are  drawn 


THE  SITE  OF  OLD  FORT  MASSAC,  METROPOLIS,  MASSAC  COUNTY 


from  the  river  water  soaked,  but  in  a  few  days  the  products  are  dry 
as  tinder.  There  are  other  forms  of  industry  about  the  city  which  add 
much  to  the  business  aspects  of  the  place. 

Many  years  ago  a  rock  or  gravel  road  was  constructed  leading  north- 
west from  the  city  some  six  or  more  miles.  This  was  originally  a  toll 
road.  It  reaches  a  very  prosperous  part  of  the  farming  community 
midway  between  the  river  and  the  ponds  and  swamps  which  cover  all  the 
northwest  corner  of  the  county.  "Without  doubt  this  macadam  road 
occupies  almost  exactly  the  route  taken  by  Gen.  Clark  on  his  way  to 
Kaskaskia. 

BROOKPORT  (FORMERLY  BROOKLYN) 

Brookport  (formerly  called  Brooklyn)  is  situated  a  little  more  than 
half  way  between  Metropolis  and  Paducah.  It  is  the  terminus  of  the 
Cairo  Short  Line  Railroad,  now  the  Paducah  division  of  the  Illinois 
Central.  It  has  grown  very  rapidly  within  recent  years.  Just  now  its 


508  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

chief  interests  are  the  transfer  of  millions  of  railroad  ties  annually 
from  the  river  to  the  railroad  for  the  tie  preserving  plant  at  Carbondale 
and  Marion.  The  town  formerly  sustained  a  hard  name,  but  in  recent 
years  the  schools,  churches,  newspapers,  banks  and  other  interests  have 
predominated.  Its  population  numbers  1,443. 

JOPPA 

Joppa  is  a  little  town  of  734  people  that  nestles  along  the  bank  of  the 
Ohio  some  six  or  seven  miles  below  Metropolis.  It  is  an  important 
shipping  point  for  a  large  area  of  country  just  back  of  the  village  for 
four  or  five  miles.  Every  now  and  then  rumor  has  it  that  some  trunk 
line  railroad  from  Chicago  or  the  northwest  is  tapping  the  Franklin, 
Saline  and  Williamson  county  coal  fields  and  is  seeking  a  place  to  cross 
the  Ohio  to  reach  the  gulf  coast.  These  rumors  always  connect  Joppa 
or  Metropolis  with  the  bridge  across  the  Ohio  and  the  real  estate  men 
push  the  price  of  lots  one  notch  higher. 

At  present  the  county  is  tapped  by  the  Paducah  division  of  the 
Illinois  Central,  and  a  branch  of  the  Chicago  &  Eastern  Illinois,  which 
leaves  the  Chicago  and  Thebes  line  at  Joppa  Junction  in  the  south- 
western corner  of  Johnson  county  and  runs  to  Joppa. 

DRAINAGE  AND  AGRICULTURE 

Thousands  of  acres  of  very  rich  land  which  lie  in  the  northwest 
corner  of  the  county  are  covered  with  cypress  swamps.  Under  the 
drainage  laws  of  the  state  plans  are  now  in  process  of  completion 
whereby  this  land  will  be  drained.  The  contract  is  let  for  the  sum  of 
$64,000,  for  which  amount  the  swamps  are  to  be  drained.  This,  when 
accomplished,  will  add  very  greatly  to  the  sum  total  of  the  wealth  of 
the  county  and  lighten  the  burden  which  other  property  is  bearing. 

The  lands  in  this  county  are  valued  at  $29.67,  an  increase  since  1900 
of  $12.83  per  acre.  The  distribution  of  values  on  farm  property  is: 
Lands,  65.8% ;  buildings,  17.7% ;  implements  and  machinery,  3.1% ; 
domestic  animals,  etc.,  13.5%t 

The  corn  crop  reported  for  1910  was  slightly  less  than  30  bushels 
per  acre ;  oats,  22  bushels ;  wheat,  14  bushels ;  barley,  12  bushels ;  potatoes, 
82  bushels  per  acre.  Hay  and  forage,  one  ton  per  acre. 

THE  OLD  FORT  TO  BE  PRESERVED 

Through  the  efforts  of  the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution, 
supplemented  by  the  State  Historical  Society,  "Old  Fort  Massac"  is 
to  be  preserved.  The  Ohio  river  is  encroaching  upon  the  grounds,  which 
were  originally  included  in  the  fort.  An  appropriation  was  secured  from 
the  general  assembly  some  five  or  six  years  ago  with  which  a  monument 
was  built,  the  grounds  fenced,  and  a  keeper's  house  built.  Another 
appropriation  was  made  to  construct  a  pavilion  for  public  meetings  and 
serve  as  a  sort  of  historical  museum.  The  fort  stood  on  a  high  bluff 
which  commands  a  view  of  the  river  ten  or  twelve  miles  both  above 
and  below.  It  is  a  beautiful  natural  site  and  is  certainly  full  of 
patriotic  interest. 


CHAPTER  LVIII 
MONROE  COUNTY 

FIRST  AMERICAN  SETTLERS — JEFFERSON'S  ESTIMATE  OF  JAMES  LEMEN— 
OLD  LEMEN  FORT  (SECOND  BRICK  HOUSE  IN  ILLINOIS) — THOMAS 
FORD  AND  DANIEL  P.  COOK — FIRST  COUNTY  COURT — SCHOOLS  AND 
SLAVES — OLD  FRENCH  LAND  GRANT — ELDER  PETER  ROGERS. 

Monroe  county  is  truly  historic  ground.  It  probably  more  than  any 
other  spot  west  of  the  Alleghanies,  is  the  exact  place  where  purely 
American  life  had  its  beginning.  It  was  created  by  the  territorial 
legislature  January  6,  1816.  Its  present  boundary  is  almost  exactly 
what  it  was  in  the  beginning.  It  lies  south  and  west  of  St.  Clair  and 
north  and  west  of  Randolph. 

The  French,  who  occupied  this  region  from  the  beginning  of  1700 
to  the  conquest  by  the  English  in  1763,  were  of  course  scattered  from 
Chester  to  East  St.  Louis,  but  it  has  been  pointed  out  that  in  the  year 
1800,  of  the  800  Americans  in  the 'Illinois  country,  not  over  100  resided 
in  what  is  now  Randolph  county  and  less  than  thirty  in  what  is  now 
St.  Clair  county — the  rest,  650  or  more,  resided  in  what  is  now  Monroe 
county. 

FIRST  AMERICAN  SETTLERS 

The  first  American  settlers  came  in  1782.  Among  them  were  James 
Moore,  Shadrach  Bond,  Robert  Kidd,  Larkin  Rutherford  and  James 
Garretson  and  their  families.  These  settlers  came  to  Kaskaskia  and 
probably  wintered  there  in  1781-2.  After  considerable  explorations  they 
settled  on  the  trail  known  as  the  hill  trail  from  Kaskaskia  to  Cahokia 
at  a  spring  which  the  French  named  Bellfontaine.  This  was  ' '  contiguous 
to  the  county  seat  and  near  the  residence  of  John  Milton  Moore." 
New  Design,  another  settlement  was  four  miles  south  of  Waterloo. 
Whiteside  Station  (fort)  was  five  miles  north  of  Waterloo.  These 
settlers  were  reinforced  in  1785  by  several  families  from  Virginia. 
Among  the  noted  new  comers  were  Capt.  Nathaniel  Hull  and  William 
Biggs.  Biggs  was  the  first  sheriff  of  St.  Clair  county.  By  1786  the 
American  settlers  were  coming  in  large  numbers. 

Piggott's  fort  was  built  just  under  the  bluff  due  west  of  the  present 
village  of  Columbia.  Piggott  was  an  old  Revolutionary  soldier.  In  1790 
seventeen  families,  numbering  forty-six  individuals,  were  at  Piggott's 
fort. 

JEFFERSON  's  ESTIMATE  OF  JAMES  LEMEN 

New  Design  was  settled  by  the  Rev.  James  Lemen,  Sr.,  who  was 
a  prominent  citizen  of  Illinois.  He  was  a  Virginian  and  a  warm  friend 

509 


510  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

of  Thomas  Jefferson,  who  would  consult  him  even  upon  matters  of 
state.  This  is  what  Jefferson  wrote  to  the  Rev.  James  Lemen  's  brother : 
"If  your  brother,  James  Lemen,  should  visit  Virginia  soon,  as  I  learn 
he  possibly  may,  do  not  let  him  return  until  he  makes  me  a  visit. 
I  will  also  write  him  to  be  sure  and  see  me.  Among  all  my  friends 
who  are  near  he  is  still  a  little  nearer.  I  discovered  his  worth  when 
he  was  but  a  child  and  I  freely  confess  that  in  some  of  my  most  im- 
portant achievements  his  example,  wish  and  advice,  though  then  but 
a  young  man,  largely  influenced  my  action.  This  was  particularly 
true  as  to  whatever  share  I  may  have  had  in  the  transfer  of  our  great 
Northwestern  Territory  to  the  United  States,  and  especially  for  the 
fact  that  I  was  so  well  satisfied  with  the  anti-slavery  clause  inserted 
in  the  ordinance  of  1787.  Before  anyone  had  ever  mentioned  the  mat- 
ter, James  Lemen,  by  reason  of  his  devotion  to  anti-slavery  principles, 
suggested  to  me  that  we  (Vireinia)  make  the  transfer  and  that  slavery 
be  excluded,  and  it  so  impressed  and  influenced  me  that  whatever  is  due 
me  as  credit  for  my  share  in  the  matter  is  largely,  if  not  wholly,  due 
to  James  Lemen 's  advice  and  most  righteous  counsel.  His  record  in 
the  new  country  has  fully  justified  my  course  in  inducing  him  to  settle 
there  with  the  view  of  properly  shaping  events  in  the  best  interests  of 
the  people.  If  he  comes  to  Virginia,  see  that  he  calls  on  me. ' ' 

OLD  LEMEN  FORT  (SECOND  BRICK  HOUSE  IN  ILLINOIS) 

Mr.  Lemen  built  the  second  brick  house  in  Illinois.  It  was  called  the 
"Old  Lemen  Fort."  It  still  stands.  Mr.  Lemen  was  baptized  in  1794 
and  helped  to  organize  the  first  Baptist  church  northwest  of  the  Ohio. 
It  is  claimed  that  Mr.  Lemen  drafted  the  amendment  which  pushed  the 
line  of  Illinois  from  the  south  end  of  Lake  Michigan  to  the  42°  30'  north. 
He  died  in  1823.  A  monument  dedicated  by  William  J.  Bryan  marks 
his  grave. 

THOMAS  FORD  AND  DANIEL  P.  COOK 

Thomas  Ford  and  his  half-brother  and  their  mother  came  in  1804. 
Ford  was  later  governor  of  Illinois.  He  was  a  carpenter.  He  and 
Daniel  P.  Cook  laid  out  Waterloo  and  kept  a  small  store  there.  From 
1786  to  1795  Indian  depredations  were  frequent.  James  Smith,  a  Baptist 
preacher,  was  captured  and  taken  to  the  Wabash  and  afterwards  ran- 
somed by  the  people  of  New  Design  for  $170.  The  massacre  of  the 
Robert  McMahon  family  was  a  horrid  affair.  It  occurred  northeast  of 
New  Design  two  or  three  miles,  in  January,  1795. 

The  first  mill  for  grinding  grain  was  built  by  Jacob  Judy  east  of 
Whiteside's  Station  in  1794.  Other  mills  were  built  soon  after. 

A  cyclone  which  swept  everything  in  its  path  crossed  the  Mississippi 
river  about  where  Merrimac  is  and  swept  a  path  three-quarters  of  a  mile 
wide,  carrying  death  and  destruction  from  the  river  to  the  bluffs.  This 
was  on  June  5,  1805. 

FIRST  COUNTY  COURT 

The  county  court  was  first  held  in  the  house  of  John  McClure  in 
Harrisonville,  which  was  on  the  river  due  west  of  New  Design.  It  later 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  511 

met  in  the  house  of  Thomas  0 'Conner.  Later  a  grant  of  eighteen  acres 
was  made  by  McKnight  and  Brady  and  the  county  seat  fixed  at  Carthage, 
which  name  was  later  changed  to  Harrisonville.  In  1825  the  county  seat 
was  moved  to  Waterloo.  A  brick  court  house  was  occupied  in  1832. 

During  the  sitting  of  the  county  court  in  1834  five  veterans  of  the 
Revolutionary  war  presented  themselves  to  be  identified  so  they  might 
draw  pensions.  They  were :  Ebenezer  Brown,  aged  81,  of  the  Virginia 
Continentals;  Andrew  Hilton,  aged  77,  of  the  Maryland  Continentals; 
Michael  Miller,  of  the  Virginia  Continentals;  James  McRoberts,  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Continentals ;  Joseph  Wright,  of  the  Virginia  Continentals. 
These  men  drew  pensions  till  their  deaths. 

SCHOOLS  AND  SLAVES 

Early  school  teaching  in  Monroe  county  was  similar  to  that  in  other 
parts  of  the  state.  The  only  difference  was  the  schools  opened  in 
Monroe  a  decade  or  so  earlier  than  in  other  portions  of  the  country. 
Among  the  early  teachers  were  John  Seely,  Francis  Clark,  Halfpenny, 
John  Clark,  Edward  Humphrey,  Mrs.  Ford,  mother  of  Governor  Ford. 
The  first  high  school  in  the  county  was  established  in  Waterloo  in  1870, 
but  it  was  not  fully  organized  till  1879,  when  Prof.  P.  P.  Peltier  put  the 
school  on  its  feet.  St.  Joseph's  academy  was  organized  by  the  Sisters  of 
St.  Joseph  in  1866.  The  school  is  still  maintained.  The  Rogers  seminary 
was  started  about  1869  and  was  continued  for  several  years. 

Slaves  were  brought  to  Monroe  county  by  the  French  early  in  the 
eighteenth  century.  Slaves  were  never  plentiful  in  Monroe,  the  senti- 
ment being  against  slavery.  In  1817  there  were  only  thirteen  slaves  in 
the  county.  In  1824  Monroe  voted  against  slavery,  the  vote  standing  141 
for  and  186  against.  Only  two  men  have  been  hanged,  legally,  in 
Monroe,  but  on  one  occasion  some  outlaws  were  jailed  and  a  mob  broke 
down  the  jail  door  and  hanged  five  of  them.  On  another  occasion  a  group 
of  bandits  were  hanged.  These  four  examples  have  been  sufficient  to 
secure  order  and  safety  in  the  county. 

OLD  FRENCH  LAND  GRANTS 

It  remains  to  speak  of  the  old  French  grants  found  on  the  old  maps. 
These  are  in  the  American  Bottom  and  lie  in  strips  at  right  angles  to 
the  river.  The  most  noted  is  the  grant  to  Philip  Renault,  which  lies  in 
the  southern  part  of  the  county.  It  is  three  miles  wide  and  six  miles 
long.  It  is  still  claimed  by  the  heirs  of  Philip  Renault. 

ELDER  PETER  ROGERS 

Elder  Peter  Rogers  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  this  vicinity.  He,  like 
his  long  line  of  ancestors,  was  strong  in  his  religious  convictions,  and 
for  sixty  years  preached  the  gospel,  and  always  without  pay. 

Elder  Rogers  was  a  son  of  James  Rogers,  fifth  in  descent  from  James 
Rogers,  who  came  to  America  in  1635,  taking  up  his  residence  in  New- 
port, R.  I.,  and  later  at  New  London,  Conn.  He  in  turn  was  a  descendant 
of  John  Rogers  the  Martyr,  prebendary  of  St.  Paul's,  London,  England, 
being  the  first  Protestant  martyr  in  the  reign  of ' '  Bloody  Mary ; ' '  burned 
at  Smithfield,  February  4,  1555.  John  Rogers  the  martyr  was  a  descend- 


512  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

ant  of  Roger  I,  count  of  Sicily  and  Calabria,  and  the  founder  of  the 
Roman  dynasty  in  those  countries,  and  who  was  born  in  France  in  1031. 
The  Roger  families  went  with  William  the  Conqueror  to  England. 

On  the  mother's  side  he  is  descended  from  Catharine  de  Courtenay, 
whose  lineage  can  be  traced  in  an  unbroken  line  to  Alfred  the  Great. 

Elder  Peter  Rogers  was  born  in  New  London,  Conn.,  July  1,  1755; 
died  Nov.  5,  1849,  in  Waterloo,  111.  He  was  married  to  Nancy  Green 
July  6,  1782.  His  second  marriage  was  to  Abi  Darrow,  March  15,  1789. 
She  saved  an  American  army  from  capture  in  the  Revolution  by  timely 
warning.  He  was  married  a  third  time  to  Martha  Pellam,  Sept.  10,  1830, 
in  Waterloo. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  Fourth  regi- 
ment, Connecticut  line.  He  was  fife  major,  enlisting  Nov.  26,  1776,  and 
discharged  Dec.  31,  1779.  He  went  into  camp  in  Peekskill  in  the  spring 
of  1777,  and  in  September  was  ordered  to  Washington's  army  in  Penn- 
sylvania, and  was  with  him  at  Valley  Forge.  He  was  engaged  in  the 
battle  of  Germantown,  Oct.  4,  1777,  on  left  flank  of  the  army.  Assigned 
later  to  Varnum's  brigade.  Was  at  defense  of  Fort  Mifflin  on  the 
Delaware;  engaged  at  battle  of  Monmouth.  He  was  attached  to  the 
corps  denominated  "Washington's  Life  Guard,"  and  was  his  chaplain. 

In  1780,  as  privateersman,  captain  of  the  ship  "Trumbull, "  Elder 
Rogers  took  a  sloop  as  prize.  The  Christian  example  of  his  first  wife 
turned  his  thoughts  to  religious  subjects.  He  was  baptized  and  ordained 
in  1790.  While  he  was  engaged  in  business  a  number  of  years  in 
Connecticut  and  Massachusetts  and  New  Hampshire,  he  preached  regu- 
larly, and  always  without  pay.  His  farewell  sermon  was  preached  in 
the  Baptist  church  in  Waterloo  in  his  90th  year.  He  died  Nov.  5,  1849, 
and  his  remains  lie  buried  in  the  cemetery  at  Waterloo,  marked  by  a 
simple  slab,  reciting  his  military  life. 

Elder  Rogers  was  one  of  the  first  to  clear  the  forests  in  this  vicinity, 
and  did  much  to  improve  and  to  develop  it.  His  sons  were  prominent  in 
their  spheres.  Peter,  a  merchant,  miller,  sawyer,  farmer ;  John,  a 
physician,  practicing  from  Cahokia  to  the  Kaskaskia  river ;  Lemuel,  a 
teacher;  Austin,  a  presiding  elder  in  the  southern  Methodist  conference, 
and  the  only  one  of  the  Rogers  family  not  a  Baptist.  As  an  orator  he 
was  specially  gifted.  As  a  minister  of  the  gospel  his  Bible  interpreta- 
tions were  clear  and  logical  and  commanded  respect. 

COL.  WILLIAM  R.  MORKISON 

While  Monroe  county  had  many  noted  men  in  early  times,  she  had 
in  recent  years  at  least  one  very  worthy  citizen,  namely :  the  Hon.  Wil- 
liam R.  Morrison,  who  as  lawyer,  soldier,  civil  officer,  and  citizen  lived 
a  long  and  useful  life.  Born  in  this  county  on  September  14,  1825,  died 
in  Waterloo  some  three  years  ago. 

After  his  death  it  was  found  he  had  willed  his  beautiful  home  to  the 
city  of  Waterloo  to  be  used  as  a  public  library. 


CHAPTER  LIX 
PERRY  COUNTY 

PIONEER  SETTLERS  AND  INCIDENTS — PINCKNEYVILLE  SELECTED  AS  COUNTY 
SEAT — FIRST  CIRCUIT  COURT — DuQuoiN  AND  TAMAROA 

Perry  county  was  made  from  Randolph  and  Jackson  on  January  29, 
1827.  The  county  is  almost  rectangular  and  contains  451  square  miles, 
with  a  population  of  22,088.  It  is  an  agricultural  and  mining  county. 
It  has  21  coal  mines  and  an  output  of  1,446,077  tons.  It  is  comparatively 


THE  RESIDENCE  OF  THE  LATE  WILLIAM  R.  MORRISON,  WATERLOO,  MONROE 
COUNTY,  NOW  THE  HOME  OP  THE  CITY  LIBRARY 

level,  sloping  southward.    It  has  no  streams  of  any  size.    Beaucoup  creek 
is  the  largest  stream.    It  flows  south  through  the  county,  near  the  center. 

PIONEER  SETTLERS  AND  INCIDENTS 

The  first  settler  was  John  Flack,  who  settled  on  Four  Mile  Prairie 
in  1799.  About  the  same  time  a  settler  by  the  name  of  Cox  came,  but 
did  not  remain  long.  Four  Mile  Prairie  is  south  and  a  little  west  of 
Pinckneyville  some  four  or  five  miles.  B.  A.  Brown  and  family  soon 
came  to  be  neighbors  of  Flack.  The  next  settlers  were  the  Hutchings, 

Vol.  1—33 

513 


514  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

John  and  William,  who  settled  some  eight  miles  north  of  Pinckneyville. 
There  were  eighteen  people  in  the  two  families,  including  three  or  four 
slaves.  It  is  said  the  Hutchings  people  gathered  wild  honey  and  hunted 
deer,  and  traded  beeswax,  honey  and  deer  skins  in  Kaskaskia  and  St. 
Louis  for  things  to  live  upon.  John  Huggins  settled  at  Cutler  in  1802, 
and  Jarrold  Jackson  near  DuQuoin  about  1803.  Jackson  built  a  sort 
of  bridge  across  Little  Muddy  and  kept  a  sort  of  toll  gate  and  made 
money.  Hiram  Root  and  Ephraim  Skinner  came  to  this  locality  about 
1816. 

By  1826  there  were  many  families  scattered  in  groups  about  over  the 
county  and  steps  were  taken  to  get  it  cut  off  into  a  county,  which  was 
done  in  1827.  These  early  comers  were  from  all  sections  of  the  older 
states.  They  all  entered  heartily  into  the  hardships  of  pioneer  life, 
making  their  own  furniture,  tanning  their  leather,  constructing  their 
harness,  spinning  and  weaving  their  own  clothing,  etc.  House  raisings, 
log  rollings,  and  corn  huskings  were  common.  The  pastimes  were  jump- 
ing, wrestling,  and  running  foot  races.  The  shooting  match  was  an 
interesting  procedure.  It  was  on  this  wise.  A  lady  would  raise  a 
dozen  turkeys.  A  day  would  be  appointed  and  the  marksmen  would 
bring  their  guns.  Ten  men  would  put  up  10  cents  each  for  one  shot 
each  in  a  contest  for  the  turkey.  The  best  marksman  would  get  the 
turkey.  The  rifles  were  long,  very  heavy,  and  of  small  bore.  Many  of 
these  pioneers  could  shoot  the  eye  of  a  squirrel  in  the  top  of  the  tallest 
trees.  Shot  guns  were  seldom  seen.  These  conditions  prevailed  through- 
out all  Southern  Illinois. 

PINCKNEYVILLE  SELECTED  AS  COUNTY  SEAT 

"When  Perry  county  was  created  the  county  commissioners  were 
Edwin  Humphreys,  Samuel  Crawford,  of  Randolph,  and  Singleton  Kim- 
mel  of  Jackson  cotmty.  They  were  to  meet  in  the  house  of  Amos 
Anderson  to  make  selection  of  a  permanent  seat  of  justice  for  the  county. 
When  it  should  be  selected  the  act  provided  it  should  be  called  Pinckney- 
ville. The  commissioners  met  in  Mr.  Amos  Anderson's  house,  which  was 
situated  on  Panther  creek,  three  and  a  half  miles  east  of  Pinckneyville, 
on  what  is  now  the  DuQuoin  and  Pinckneyville  wagon  road.  The  com- 
missioners selected  the  present  site  of  Pinckneyville  as  the  county  seat. 
The  town  was  laid  off  and  lots  placed  on  sale  with  a  minimum  price  of 
$5.00.  They  were  auctioned  off  and  twenty-four  lots  brought  $1,223.28, 
an  average  of  $50.97  per  lot. 

The  first  bridge  built  by  the  county  commissioners  was  erected  across 
Beaucoup  creek  just  east  of  Pinckneyville.  It  was  sixteen  feet  wide  and 
built  of  the  strongest  timbers,  some  of  them  being  12  by  15  inches. 
At  the  time  the  lots  in  Pinckneyville  were  sold,  a  contract  was  let  to 
build  a  court  house.  It  was  "to  be  built  of  hewn  logs  which  are  to  face 
from  ten  to  twelve  inches  in  the  middle ;  and  to  be  eighteen  by  twenty- 
two  feet  in  length.  The  lower  floor  of  said  court  house  to  be  laid  with 
good  puncheons  with  good  hewn  joists,  but  no  floor  above,  etc."  The 
contract  price  was  $54.  This  log  house  was  weatherboarded  in  1829 
with  four-foot  boards,  neatly  shaved. 

The  second  court  house  was  of  brick,  forty-three  feet  square,  two 
stories  high,  at  a  cost  of  $1,765  for  the  brick  work  and  $840.87  for  the 
wood  work,  plaster,  etc.  This  was  built  about  1837.  A  third  court 
house  was  built  in  1850,  and  a  fourth  one  was  finished  in  1878. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  515 

FIRST  CIRCUIT  COURT 

The  first  circuit  court  was  held  in  the  house  of  Amos  Anderson  on 
Holt's  Prairie,  August  28,  1827.  The  Hon.  Theophilus  W.  Smith,  a 
justice  of  the  supreme  court,  presided.  David  J.  Baker  was  appointed 
prosecuting  attorney.  Among  the  able  lawyers  and  judges  who  came 
to  the  Perry  county  courts  were  Judge  Thomas  C.  Brown  of  the  supreme 
court,  Judge  Walter  B.  Scates,  Judge  James  Semple,  Hon.  William  H. 
Underwood,  Judge  Sidney  Breese,  Hon.  Alexander  M.  Jenkins,  Hon. 
John  K.  Mulkey,  Hon.  William  H.  Green,  and  scores  of  others. 

The  first  newspaper  printed  in  Perry  county  was  the  Perry  County 
Times.  It  was  first  issued  October  1, 1856.  William  McEwing  was  editor 
and  proprietor. 

DuQuoiN  AND  TAMAROA 

There  are  besides  Pinckneyville,  the  county  seat,  DuQuoin  and 
Tamaroa,  which  are  towns  of  some  importance.  Tamaroa  is  a  town 
situated  on  the  Illinois  Central,  nine  miles  north  of  DuQuoin.  It  is  a 
very  old  settled  region,  the  earliest  settlers  dating  back  to  1815.  When 
the  Illinois  Central  went  through  in  1854  the  town  was  located  and 
grew  rapidly.  It  has  a  number  of  good  business  firms,  good  schools, 
several  small  industries,  and  good  churches.  Its  population  is  910. 

DuQuoin  is  a  city  of  5,454.  It  is  a  very  prosperous  city.  Its  mines 
distribute  large  amounts  of  money  in  the  monthly  pay  roll.  It  has  large 
flour  mills,  and  the  Eldorado  branch  of  the  Illinois  Central  brings  a 
very  large  amount  of  railroad  business  from  the  east  in  trading,  passen- 
ger traffic,  freight,  etc.  There  are  ten  coal  mines  in  and  about  DuQuoin. 
There  are  eleven  other  mines  in  the  county.  The  vicinity  about  DuQuoin 
was  settled  as  early  as  1816  by  Hiram  Root  and  Ephraim  Skinner,  two 
names  that  have  come  down  to  the  present  day.  Old  DuQuoin  was 
originally  laid  out  about  1844.  The  old  town  was  about  three  miles 
southeast  of  the  present  DuQuoin.  It  had  a  good  start,  with  dwellings, 
stores,  shops,  churches  and  a  seminary  of  learning. 

In  1854,  when  the  Illinois  Central  came  and  the  new  DuQuoin  was 
laid  out  and  began  to  grow,  the  old  town  begun  to  decay.  DuQuoin 
is  well  supplied  with  churches  and  schools.  The  township  high  school 
enrolls  about  200  pupils  and  is  tactfully  managed  to  C.  W.  Houk,  the 
principal. 


CHAPTER  LX 
POPE  COUNTY 

SAKAHVILLE  (GOLCONDA),  THE  COUNTY  SEAT — EDUCATIONAL,  AND  SOCIAL — 
NOTED  PERSONAGES — "GREAT  MEDICINE  WATER" — STATISTICS 

Pope  county  lies  along  the  Ohio  river  just  above  Massac  and  just 
below  Hardin.  It  is  a  mountainous  county  and  until  within  very  recent 
years  had  no  railroad.  It  now  has  a  branch  of  the  Paducah  division 
of  the  Illinois  Central  from  Reevesville  to  Golconda,  a  distance  of  some 
thirteen  miles.  The  principal  town  and  county  seat  is  Golconda,  which 
nestles  at  the  foot  of  the  Ozarks  close  to  the  banks  of  the  Ohio.  There 
are  no  other  towns,  only  villages.  Golconda  is  at  the  mouth  of  Lusk's 
creek  and  here  there  was  a  ferry  as  early  as  1800.  Here  Governor 
Reynolds  crossed  the  Ohio  in  1800  on  his  way  from  Tennessee  to  Cahokia. 

SARAHVILLE  (GOLCONDA),  THE  COUNTY  SEAT 

Pope  county  was  created  January  10,  1816.  U  was  made  of  the  east 
end  of  Johnson  as  it  then  existed.  Since  1816  Pope  county  has  been 
reduced  by  taking  territory  to  construct  parts  of  Massac,  Hardin,  and 
Johnson.  The  county  seat  was  Sarahville,  which  name  was  afterwards 
changed  to  Golconda.  The  first  commissioners  were :  Robert  Lacey, 
Benoni  Lee,  Thomas  Ferguson. 

Goleonda  was  not  a  vigorous  village  and  by  1836  had  but  three  stores, 
one  grocery,  two  taverns,  and  about  twenty  dwelling  houses.  This 
would  give  about  100  people  in  the  village.  At  that  time  the  court 
house  was  brick,  thirty-six  feet  square,  two  stories  high,  with  a  neat 
cupola.  In  1820  there  were  2.610  people  within  the  limits  of  the  county. 
The  population  grew  at  the  rate  of  100  a  year  till  1860.  Since  then  the 
growth  has  been  greater. 

EDUCATIONAL  AND  SOCIAL 

Among  the  early  teachers  in  the  county  was  a  Mr.  Jennings,  an 
Englishman.  He  could  make  a  good  quill  pen  and  could  work  in  the 
arithmetic  to  fractions.  Miss  Adetha  Hillerman  and  Mr.  Frank  Modglin 
are  spoken  of  very  kindly  by  the  old  settlers  as  superior  teachers.  They 
both  taught  in  the  old  days  before  the  introduction  of  modern  methods. 
Credit  is  given  Mr.  Theodore  Steyer  for  lifting  the  schools  from  their 
crude  condition  to  a  higher  plane.  He  never  ceased  to  speak,  and  write, 
and  visit,  and  work  in  and  out  of  season  for  the  schools  of  the  county. 

The  social  life  of  the  early  settlers  in  this  county  was  of  the  kind 
common  to  the  early  pioneers.  The  homes,  churches  and  public  buildings 
were  of  logs.  Women  did  all  such  work  as  carding,  spinning,  weaving, 

516 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


517 


cutting  and  making.  Most  of  the  early  comers  were  from  the  rural 
districts  of  Tennessee,  Kentucky  and  the  Carolinas,  and  so  were  accus- 
tomed to  supply  their  wants  from  the  crude  materials  about  them. 
Game  was  plentiful  and  the  men  were  good  marksmen  and  expert 
hunters.  Much  of  the  table  food  was  supplied  from  the  forests  in  an 
early  day.  Dr.  Sim  and  Dr.  J.  V.  Schuchardt  practiced  medicine  in 
this  county  for  many  years.  Mills  for  grinding  were  early  established. 
In  the  first  place  there  were  many  places  where  falls  in  streams  furnished 
the  power,  and  then  it  was  easy  to  bring  wheels,  machinery,  etc.,  from 
Pittsburg.  There  were  overshot,  undershot  and  turbine  wheels  in  this 
county. 

The  war  between  the  Platheads  and  the  Regulators,  which  occurred 


BIRD'S  EYE  VIEW  OF  GOLCONDA,  POPE  COUNTY 

in  this  and  adjoining  counties  from  1830  to  1849,  has  been  described 
briefly  in  an  earlier  chapter  and  need  not  be  given  here. 

NOTED  PERSONAGES 

A  noted  family  of  this  county  was  the  Raums.  John  Raum  was 
born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1793  and  came  to  Golconda  in  1826.  He  served 
in  the  War  of  1812  and  in  the  Blackhawk  war.  He  held  many  political 
positions.  He  died  in  1869.  His  son,  Gen.  Green  B.  Raum,  was  a  gallant 
soldier  in  the  Civil  war.  He  was  a  staunch  republican  and  has  been 
often  honored  by  his  party.  He  was  commissioner  of  internal  revenue 
under  President  Hayes,  and  commissioner  of  pensions  under  Harrison. 
He  has  written  considerably — books  and  magazine  articles.  His  brother, 
Major  John  M.  Raum,  also  did  valiant  service  in  the  War  of  the  Rebellion. 

The  Hon.  James  A.  Rose,  who  has  but  recently  died,  was  secretary 
of  state  for  Illinois  from  1897  to  the  spring  of  19i2.  He  taught  school 
in  Pope  county,  acted  as  county  superintendent,  state's  attorney,  and 
held  several  appointments  under  the  governors  of  Illinois.  He  was  at 
one  time  a  prominent  candidate  for  the  nomination  for  governor. 

There  are  three  banks  in  Pope  county — two  in  Golconda  and  one  in 


518 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


Eddyville.  Golconda  is  a  town  of  1,088  people.  The  other  towns  and 
villages  are  Eddyville  143,  Hamletsburg  215,  Brownfield,  Allen's  Spring, 
Delwood  and  Azatus. 

"GKEAT  MEDICINE  WATER" 

One  thing  about  Pope  county  that  must  not  be  overlooked,  and  that 
is  the  presence  of  numerous  springs  throughout  the  county,  many  of 
them  of  great  value  medicinally.  One  of  these  springs  is  now  a  very 
noted  resort.  It  is  said  the  Algonquin  Indians  used  to  resort  thither 
as  they  were  waging  relentless  warfare  against  the  Iroquois  of  this 
section.  They  named  the  spring  "Kitche  Mus  Ke  Neebe,"  meaning 
"Great  Medicine  Water."  William  Dixon  bought  the  land  from  the 


THE  NASHVILLE  AT  THE  WHARF  AT  GOLCONDA 

state  in  1848.  Dixon 's  old  log  cabin  still  stands,  with  two  massive  fire 
places.  The  old  log  church  still  stands  on  an  adjoining  knoll.  For 
many  years  the  springs  attracted  no  particular  attention  but  in  recent 
years  they  have  come  into  possession  of  a  corporation  known  as  the 
Dixon  Springs  Hotel  company.  Many  improvements  have  been  made — 
new  buildings  added,  grounds  enlarged,  parks  improved,  concrete  walks, 
swings,  amusement  halls  and  all  the  legitimate  accessories  of  a  first  class 
summer  resort  have  been  provided.  The  scenery  about  these  springs  is 
romantic  and  city  people  are  delighted  with  the  environs.  The  waters 
are  said  to  have  wonderful  curative  properties. 

STATISTICS 

The  population  of  Pope  county  is  11,215.  In  1900  it  was  13,585,  a 
loss  of  2,370.  Less  than  60%  of  the  lands  are  improved  farm  lands. 
The  distribution  of  values  of  farm  property  is  as  follows:  Land,  59.6%  ; 
buildings,  17.7%;  implements  and  machinery,  3.2%.;  domestic  animals, 
19.5%.  The  value  of  land  per  acre  is  $14.72,  a  rise  of  $5.88  per  acre  in 
ten  years. 


CHAPTER  LXI 
PULASKI COUNTY 

CALEDONIA,  THE  OLD  COUNTY  SEAT  —  MOUND  CITY  OF  THE  EARLIER 
TIMES — GENERAL  M.  M.  EAWLINGS — PLANS  FOR  THE  GREAT  EMPORIUM 
CITY — UNION  BLOCK,  CIVIL  WAR  HOSPITAL— THE  PRESENT  MOUND 
CITY — VILLAGES  OF  THE  COUNTY. 

Pulaski  is  also  an  Ohio  river  county.  It  lies  between  Alexander  and 
Massac.  It  is  one  of  the  smaller  counties,  having  only  190  square  miles. 
It  was  formed  by  taking  a  part  of  Alexander  and  a  part  of  Johnson. 
This  was  done  March  3,  1843.  The  commissioners  were  Henry  Sowers, 


ON  THE  FARM  OF  WM.  E.  G.  BRITTON,  MOUNDS,  PULASKI  COUNTY 

Thomas  Lackey,  Jr.,  and  Thomas  Howard.     They  met  in  the  home  of 
Thomas  Forker  and  decided  upon  the  location  for  the  county  seat. 

CALEDONIA,  THE  OLD  COUNTY  SEAT 

The  town  of  Caledonia,  some  eight  miles  above  the  present  Mound 
City,  was  selected  as  the  county  seat.  There  was  already  a  small  town 
there.  In  1836  there  were  two  or  three  stores  and  not  more  than  a 
dozen  families.  Here  was  built  a  court  house  and  jail.  The  county 

519 


520 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


seat  remained  here  till  the  summer  of  1861,  when  it  was  removed  to 
Mound  City. 

MOUND  CITY  OF  THE  EARLIER  TIMES 

This  new  county  seat  was  first  settled  in  1812  but  it  probably  grew 
very  slowly.  The  new  county  seat  was  located  on  land  subject  to 
overflow  and  this  of  itself  was  quite  a  drawback.  In  the  first  year  after 
the  Phillips  family  came  to  Mound  City  the  massacre  occurred  and  no 
one  else  came  for  many  years.  In  1838  some  houses  were  built  and 
from  now  on  the  town  grew.  A  number  of  families  came.  They  settled 
near  a  big  mound  near  the  river  bank.  In  1838  one  Coblitz  built  a  store 


FOUR  RIVER  STEAMERS  ON  THE  MARINE  WAYS  AT  MOUND  CITY, 
PULASKI  COUNTY 

in  Mound  City.  It  seems  that  at  this  time  the  place  was  a  wood  yard 
for  boats  on  the  Ohio.  Three  roads  led  away  from  the  new  county  seat. 
One  from  Mound  City  to  Caledonia,  one  to  Unity  upon  the  Cache,  and 
one  to  Jonesboro.  About  1839  Mr.  James  Dougherty,  father  of  A.  J. 
and  J.  L.  Dougherty,  came  to  Mound  City.  Mr.  Dougherty  ran  the  wood 
yard  and  cultivated  some  land. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  deep  water  of  the  Ohio  at  Mound 
City,  the  nature  of  the  banks,  and  the  fact  that  the  river  seldom  froze 
at  that  point,  all  contributed  to  give  the  place  prominence  among  the 
boat  men  of  the  Ohio  and  the  lower  Mississippi. 

GENERAL  M.  M.  RAWLINGS 

Among  the  early  men  of  prominence  who  came  to  Mound  City  was 
Gen.  M.  M.  Rawlings,  who  had  been  a  man  of  affairs  in  Illinois  for 
several  years.  He  came  to  Mound  City  about  1853.  The  next  year 
he  had  the  town  surveyed.  The  people  who  had  previously  gathered 
at  this  point  had  all  gone.  There  was  one  fairly  good  cabin  left.  This 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


521 


served  for  shelter  for  the  future  arrivals  till  Gen.  Rawlings  built  a 
commodious  frame  in  the  latter  part  of  1854.  Other  houses  were  built — 
one  by  William  Dougherty,  another,  a  brick,  by  F.  M.  Rawlings  in  1856. 
General  Rawlings  was  instrumental  in  building  the  short  railroad 
which  connects  Mound  City  with  the  Illinois  Central  at  Mound  Junction. 
It  was  completed  in  the  spring  of  1856. 

PLANS  FOR  THE  GREAT  EMPORIUM  CITY. 

In  this  year  was  completed  a  great  scheme  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  for 
the  building  of  a  great  city  on  the  lower  Ohio.  The  company  was  known 
as  the  "Emporium  Real  Estate  and  Manufacturing  Company."  This 
company  bought  land  adjoining  the  town  Rawlings  had  laid  off  and  there 


THE  BUILDING  USED  AS  A  HOSPITAL  IN  MOUND  CITY, 

To   which   were  brought   the   wounded   Soldiers   from  the   Battlefield   of  Pittsburg 
Landing  and  other  Fields  of  Carnage. 

laid  off  another  city  with  large  parks,  squares,  courts,  etc.  Public  sales 
were  held  and  in  all  something  like  $400,000  was  received  for  all  lots 
sold.  Some  lots  sold  for  $113  per  foot  front.  The  company  bought  a 
steamboat,  and  bought  Gen.  Rawlings'  railroad.  When  the  company  got 
hard  up  they  sold  the  engine  and  used  mules  for  motive  power.  The 
crash  finally  came  and  Emporium  City  was  incorporated  with  Mound 
City  in  a  charter  in  1857.  The  company,  before  the  crash,  had  built  an 
immense  three-story  brick  building  to  be  used  as  a  foundry.  Here  ma- 
chinery was  installed  and  the  heavy  machinery  for  the  marine  ways  was 
cast  here.  It  was  used  by  the  government  in  the  Civil  war  for  a  naval 
magazine.  An  explosion  ruined  parts  of  the  building. 

The  marine  ways  was  another  enterprise  of  the  Emporium  Company. 
The  ways  was  built  by  a  Mr.  Robert  Calvin.  This  great  industry  is  the 
repairing  or  building  of  boats.  It  can  not  be  described  here  in  detail. 
Suffice  to  say  a  boat  is  run  alongside  the  ways  and  with  powerful  ma- 
chinery it  is  drawn  sideways  upon  the  ways  and  there  propped  up  for 
repairs.  During  the  Civil  war  this  was  of  immense  value  to  the  general 


522 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


government  in  remodeling  and  repairing  the  river  fleet.  The  government 
leased  the  ways  and  paid  $40,000  a  year  rent,  and  employed  the  owner, 
Capt.  W.  L.  Hambleton,  as  superintendent.  The  three  ironclad  gun- 
boats, the  Cincinnati,  the  Cardondelet,  and  the  Mound  City  were  con- 
structed on  the  marine  ways.  At  times  as  many  as  1,500  men  were  at 
work  on  the  ways. 

UNION  BLOCK,  CIVIL  WAR  HOSPITAL. 

A  great  block  of  buildings  was  built  just  before  the  war  and  known  as 
Union  Block.    It  was  three  stories  high.    It  was  occupied  as  a  hospital 


THE  NATIONAL  CEMETERY  NEAR  MOUND  CITY 

during  the  Civil  war  and  was  perhaps  the  largest  one  in  the  west.  It 
received  wounded  and  sick  soldiers  from  all  the  battles  in  the  vicinity  of 
Kentucky  and  west  Tennessee.  It  is  said  that  2,200  wounded  were 
brought  there  after  the  battle  of  Shiloh. 

Those  who  died  in  this  hospital  were  buried  above  Mound  City. 
After  the  war  their  bodies  were  all  removed  to  the  site  of  the  present 
national  cemetery,  a  mile  west  of  the  city.  There  are  5,555  soldiers 
buried  in  this  cemetery.  The  grounds  are  enclosed  with  a  substantial 
iron  fence.  The  state  has  erected  an  appropriate  monument,  and  the 
government  provides  an  attendant  to  care  for  the  grounds. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  523 

THE  PRESENT  MOUND  CITY. 

The  Mound  City  of  today  is  a  steady,  conservative  business  center.  It 
has  large  business  firms  and  an  extensive  trade.  In  addition  to  the 
branch  connecting  with  the  Illinois  Central  at  Mounds,  the  county  has 
the  Big  Four,  besides  an  electric  line  and  the  river  facilities. 

In  1858  the  Ohio  overflowed  its  banks  and  the  town  of  Mound  City, 
as  well  as  Cairo,  was  flooded.  Another  flood  in  1862  put  the  people  to 
work  to  build  levees.  Only  once  since  the  levee  was  constructed  has  the 
water  gained  entrance  into  the  city.  The  recent  flood,  April,  1912,  was 
the  highest  in  the  history  of  the  city,  and  yet  the  levees  withstood  the 
surging  flood. 

VILLAGES  OP  THE  COUNTY. 

There  are  several  thriving  villages  in  Pulaski.  Among  them  are  New 
Grand  Chain,  Olmsted,  Pulaski,  Ullin,  Villa  Ridge  and  Wetaug.  New 
Grand  Chain  is  on  the  Big  Four  railroad  in  the  extreme  east  end  of  the 
county.  It  is  in  a  good  farming  community.  There  are  large  areas  of 
swamp  land  to  the  north  and  east  which  will  in  a  short  time  be  drained 
and  then  we  may  expect  increased  production  of  farm  crops  and  conse- 
quent increase  in  business.  Olmsted  is  near  the  site  of  old  Caledonia.  It 
is  a  village  of  288  people.  It  is  situated  on  the  Big  Four  railroad.  Villa 
Ridge,  Pulaski,  Wetaug  and  Ullin  are  on  the  Illinois  Central  north  of 
Mounds.  Their  chief  interests  are  farming  and  fruit  raising.  Grape 
culture  has  prospered  about  Villa  Ridge. 

Mounds,  which  is  on  the  Illinois  Central  seven  miles  north  of  Cairo 
and  at  the  junction  of  the  Mound  City  branch,  is  a  city  of -1,686,  whose 
interests  are  almost  wholly  in  railroading.  Here  are  the  railroad  yards, 
round  houses,  banana  houses  and  railroad  offices.  It  is  connected  with 
Mound  City  and  Cairo  by  electric  line. 


CHAPTER  LXII 
RANDOLPH  COUNTY 

COUNTY  AND  STATE  HISTORY  PARALLEL — KASKASKIA  COURT  HOUSE  OP 
1819 — A  SLAVE  COUNTY — POPULATION,  1825-1840 — COUNTY  SEAT 
MOVED  TO  CHESTER — DECLINE  OF  KASKASKIA — ON  THE  RAMPARTS  OF 
OLD  FORT  GAGE. 

This  is  the  second  oldest  county  in  the  state.  In  1790,  when  St.  Clair, 
the  first  governor  of  the  Northwest  Territory,  came  to  Kaskaskia,  he 
created  St.  Clair  county  by  proclamation.  It  included  everything  west 
of  a  line  drawn  from  near  the  present  site  of  Pekin  on  the  Illinois  river 
to  Port  Massac  and  bounded  by  the  Illinois,  the  Mississippi  and  the  Ohio. 
In  1795,  October  5th,  the  governor  ran  an  east  and  west  line  through 
Cave  spring  just  south  of  the  New  Design  and  called  all  south  of  the 
line  Randolph. 

COUNTY  AND  STATE  HISTORY  PARALLEL 

Randolph's  civil  government  from  1795  to  1803  was  in  the  hands 
of  a  court  of  common  pleas  consisting  of  twelve  justices  of  the  peace. 
From  1803  to  1809  the  commissioners  seem  to  have  met  in  private  houses, 
though  there  was  a  jail  as  early  as  1803. 

In  1809  Illinois  was  set  off  from  Indian  Territory  with  Ninian 
Edwards  as  governor  and  Nathaniel  Pope  as  secretary.  Pope,  by  procla- 
mation, created  the  two  counties  heretofore  existing,  namely :  Randolph 
and  St.  Clair.  Randolph  is  supposed  to  have  had  7,000  in  it  in  1809. 
After  the  proclamation  of  Pope,  commissioners  "Wm.  Arundel,  Philip 
Fouke,  and  John  Edgar  were  constituted.  The  court  met  in  the  home 
of  Thomas  Cox,  who  kept  a  tavern  in  Kaskaskia. 

The  history  of  Randolph  and  St.  Clair  for  many  years  after  their 
creations  is  in  the  main  the  history  of  the  state.  In  1812  we  passed  from 
a  territory  of  the  first  class  to  one  of  the  second  class.  Randolph  sent 
Pierre  Menard  to  the  council  of  the  legislature,  and  George  Fisher  to 
the  house. 

In  the  War  of  1812  Randolph  was  the  seat  of  government  and  Gov- 
ernor Edwards  was  there  a  large  share  of  his  time.  Many  of  the  troops 
were  furnished  by  Randolph. 

In  the  constitutional  convention,  George  Fisher  and  Elias  Kent  Kane 
represented  Randolph  county.  The  seat  of  government  was  fixed  at 
Kaskaskia,  which  was  also  the  county  seat  of  Randolph  county. 

Although  there  were  fifteen  counties  in  the  state  in  1818  when  the 
constitution  was  made,  yet  the  governor  and  lieutenant-governor  were 
both  from  Randolph.  Shadrach  Bond  lived  at  ' '  Elvirade, ' '  a  farm  near 

524 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


525 


Kaskaskia,  and  Menard  lived  at  the  foot  of  the  bluff  under  old  Fort 
Gage  just  east  of  the  river  Kaskaskia. 

KASKASKIA  COURT  HOUSE  OP  1819 

A  court  house  was  built  at  Kaskaskia  in  1819.  It  was  of  brick  and 
two  stories  high.  It  cost  $4,750 — quite  a  sum  for  those  days.  There 
seems  to  have  been  an  "old"  court  house  when  the  new  one  was  built. 
It  was  an  old  residence  and  was  rented  for  an  inn,  with  "grocery" 
attached. 

A  SLAVE  COUNTY 

In  the  contest  of  1823-4  over  the  question  of  the  introduction  of 
slavery  into  the  state,  Randolph  county  voted  for  slavery  for  she  already 


MANSION  OF  PIERRE  MENARD,  JUST  AT  THE  FOOT  OF  THE  BLUFF,  ON 
WHICH  STOOD  OLD  FORT  GAGE,  OPPOSITE  KAS- 
KASKIA, RANDOLPH  COUNTY 


had  quite  a  number  of  old  French  slaves  in  her  territory, 
this  county  stood  357  for  the  convention  to  284  against  it. 

POPULATION,  1825-1840 


The  vote  in 


The  constitution  of  1818  provided  for  the  taking  of  the  census  every 
five  years  beginning  in  the  year  1820.  In  1825  the  census  of  Randolph 
county  was  taken  by  Th.  J.  V.  Owen  and  the  report  is  interesting.  The 
population  was  for  the  county — whites  3,481,  slave  negroes  240,  free 
negroes  91.  Total  3,812.  The  manufacturing  interests  were  reported  as 
follows :  ' '  Eight  distilleries,  nine  horse  mills,  three  inclined  grist  mills, 
one  water  grist  mill,  one  'ditto'  saw  mill,  three  cotton  gins,  one  carding 
machine,  two  house  carpenters  carrying  on  business,  three  shoe  manu- 
factories, two  hat  manufactories,  five  blacksmith  shops,  one  bake  shop, 
two  tailor  shops,  one  saddle  manufactory,  and  one  spinning  wheel 
manufactory. ' ' 


526  HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

The  census  of  1830  is  also  interesting  as  it  connects  some  of  our 
great  names  with  ordinary  "human  affairs." 

The  population  had  grown  to  4,448  persons.  Slaves  had  increased  to 
99  and  free  negroes  decreased  to  102.  Six  hundred  and  sixty-one  per- 
sons were  enrolled  in  the  militia,  and  911  persons  were  voters.  Wm. 
Morrison  was  running  a  copper  steam  distillery  and  water  grist  mill, 
while  Nathaniel  Pope  had  a  saw  mill  and  a  grist  mill.  Other  prominent 
men  are  named  as  owning  or  operating  distilleries,  saw  mills,  grist  mills, 
carding  machines,  oil  presses,  etc. 

In  1840  the  population  was  7,944;  133  were  slaves,  188  free  negroes. 
A  study  of  the  report  of  1840  shows  a  very  prosperous  condition  in  the 
county.  Thousands  of  mules,  hogs,  horses,  cattle,  poultry,  etc.,  are 
enumerated.  There  were  still  4  distilleries,  making  annually  5,300 
gallons  of  whiskey. 


VIEW  OP  THE  MISSISSIPPI  FROM  THE  WATER  TOWER  IN  CHESTER, 
RANDOLPH  COUNTY 

Gustavus  Pape,  still  living  in  Chester,  told  the  writer  that  he  came 
to  Chester  in  1832,  and  that  at  that  time  there  was  a  bridge  across  the 
Kaskaskia.  One  day  the  bridge  fell  and  made  a  great  crash.  He  said  it 
was  never  rebuilt. 

COUNTY  SEAT  MOVED  TO  CHESTER 

Randolph  county  took  on  its  present  limits  in  1827  when  Perry  was 
created  out  of  Randolph  and  Jackson.  It  now  has  an  area  of  587 
square  miles,  and  a  population  of  29,120.  In  1844  there  was  high  water 
and  the  whole  city  of  Kaskaskia  was  inundated.  People  fled  to  the 
bluffs  at  Fort  Gage,  scores  taking  shelter  in  the  home  of  Pierre  Menard. 
Boats  steamed  in  and  out  among  the  streets  of  Kaskaskia. 

Following  this  the  agitation  began  for  the  removal  of  the  county 
seat.  This  was  strenuously  opposed  by  the  Kaskaskia  Republican, 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  527 

edited  at  that  time  by  Parson  Percy.  After  several  elections  and  more 
or  less  illegal  voting,  as  charged  at  the  time,  the  courts  settled  the  matter 
in  favor  of  Chester.  The  county  seat  was  eventually  located  in  Chester, 
in  1847,  though  some  of  the  county  officers  did  not  remove  their  offices 
till  the  spring  of  1849. 

The  present  site  of  the  court  house  in  Chester  was  selected  by  the 
county  board  January  16,  1849.  It  is  on  a  bluff  some  250  or  300  feet 
above  the  river,  and  commands  a  fine  view  of  that  stream  as  well  as  of 
the  country  for  miles  beyond. 

Probably  no  county  can  present  the  names  of  so  many  great  Illinois- 
ans  as  can  Randolph.  At  the  risk  of  offending  some  whose  friends  might 
be  named,  we  shall  give  only  a  few  of  very  many :  Governor  Shadrach 
Bond,  Pierre  Menard,  Elias  Kent  Kane,  Thomas  Mather,  Gabriel  Jones, 
Thomas  Reynolds,  Joseph  Morrison,  James  Shields,  Daniel  P.  Cook, 
Jesse  B.  Thomas  and  David  J.  Baker. 

DECLINE  OF  KASKASKIA 

After  the  removal  of  the  county  seat  to  Chester  the  town  of  Kaskas- 
kia  ceased  to  grow.  There  were  some  people  who  followed  the  county 
seat  to  Chester,  but  in  the  main  the  citizens  remained  in  the  old  town. 
From  1880  to  1890  the  Mississippi  river  was  cutting  its  way  across  the 
narrow  neck  which  separated  the  two  rivers.  In  times  of  high  water  the 
Mississippi  would  cut  across  the  neck  of  land  and  flow  down  the  Kas- 
kaskia.  It  was  easily  seen  that  that  would  eventually  be  the  route  of 
the  river.  And  since  the  bluffs  upon  the  east  would  prevent  the  widen- 
ing of  the  Kaskaskia  in  that  direction,  the  town  of  Kaskaskia,  which 
was  situated  on  alluvial  land  must  eventually  be  swallowed  up  in  the 
channel  of  the  great  stream.  In  the  legislature  of  1891  an  appropria- 
tion of  $10,000  was  made  to  remove  the  bodies  from  the  old  town  ceme- 
tery to  the  bluffs  near  Fort  Gage.  This  was  accomplished  none  too 
soon,  as  the  houses,  stores,  orchards  and  all  improvements  began  to  dis- 
appear in  the  newly  cut  channel.  The  Catholic  church  which  contained 
the  bell  presented  by  the  King  of  France,  and  also  the  records  of  the 
Church  of  the  Immaculate  Conception,  was  moved  to  the  interior  of  the 
newly  made  island,  where  the  third  Kaskaskia  was  founded. 

ON  THE  RAMPARTS  OP  OLD  FORT  GAGE 

There  are  a  few  old  ruins  of  the  former  center  of  French  power  in 
the  Louisiana  province.  As  one  stands  on  old  Fort  Gage  and  looks  down 
upon  what  is  left  of  a  once  flourishing  city  it  is  with  a  tinge  of  sadness. 
The  very  air  about  one  is  charged  with  the  traditions  of  two  centuries. 
Yonder  is  the  spot  where  General  George  Rogers  Clark  added  an  empire 
of  territory  to  the  thirteen  struggling  colonies.  There  is  where  a  few 
embryo  statesmen  enacted  the  fundamental  law  for  an  imperial  com- 
monwealth, and  there  the  scene  of  the  brilliant  and  patriotic  reception 
given  to  the  best  friend  Washington,  America  and  Freedom  ever  had; 
and  just  here  at  our  right  are  the  graves  of  those  early  founders  of  em- 
pire in  the  west.  If  there  is  any  place  west  of  the  Alleghanies  where 
one's  sluggish  patriotism  may  be  stirred,  where  visions  of  the  past  may 
float  before  one's  imagination  and  where  high  resolves  may  assert  them- 
selves it  is  on  the  ramparts  of  old  Fort  Gage,  Randolph  county. 


CHAPTER  LXIII 
HIGHLAND  COUNTY 

CONDITIONS  IN  1820 — ELIJAH  NELSON  AND  ROSWELL  PARK — CUSTOMS  OF 
EARLY  SETTLERS — THE  HARD  YEAR,  1881 — FIRST  INSTITUTIONS — THE 
CIVIL  WAR — OLNET. 

Richland  lies  west  of  Lawrence,  north  of  Edwards,  east  of  Clay,  and 
south  of  Jasper.  It  has  an  area  of  357  square  miles,  and  a  population 
of  15,970  souls.  It  was  one  of  the  later  counties,  being  organized  Feb- 
ruary 24,  1841.  Its  territory  lay  in  Clay  and  Lawrence. 

CONDITIONS  IN  1820 

In  1820  there  were  about  twenty  families  in  the  territory  included 
within  the  present  limits  of  the  county.  It  is  said  two  brothers  by  the 
name  of  Evans  came  from  Kentucky  and  found  near  the  present  site  of 
Olney  an  unoccupied  wigwam  in  which  the  fire  was  still  burning.  They 
occupied  it.  Hugh  Calhoun,  a  relative  of  the  South  Carolina  statesman 
came  about  1820  or  earlier.  Other  names  of  early  settlers  are — Thaddeus 
Moorehouse,  Thomas  Gardner,  James  Parker,  Cornelius  De  Long,  James 
Gilmore  and  two  Germans  Ginders  and  Schneider. 

ELIJAH  NELSON  AND  ROSWELL  PARK 

Elijah  Nelson  and  Thaddeus  Moorehouse  built  the  first  frame  houses 
about  1820,  and  shortly  afterwards  James  Laws  erected  the  first  brick 
house.  Vincennes  was  their  usual  trading  place,  but  a  store  was  opened 
at  Stringtown  in  1825.  Stringtown  was  in  the  northeast  corner  of  the 
present  county.  The  first  school  in  the  county  was  taught  in  Water- 
town  by  Isaac  Chauncy.  In  1822  the  Baptists  erected  a  church  on  the 
"trace"  road.  Lorenzo  Dow  is  said  to  have  delivered  sermons  in  this 
church  house.  This  "trace"  was  the  trail  or  road  which  ran  from  Vin- 
cennes to  St.  Louis  and  is  without  doubt  identical  with  the  George 
Rogers  Clark  trail  of  1779.  It  was  a  mail  route  as  early  as  1805.  Louis 
and  James  Beard,  his  brother,  carried  the  mail  on  this  trail  in  1820,  and 
in  1824  the  firm  of  Mills  and  Whetsell  put  on  two  or  three  four-horse 
stages. 

Elijah  Nelson  practically  located  Olney  in  1820  when  he  built  his 
frame  house  on  the  old  trace  road.  There  may  have  been  other  houses 
near,  but  in  1841  when  the  county  was  created  the  city  of  Olney,  which 
is  almost  exactly  in  the  geographical  center,  was  laid  out.  It  was  laid 
off  on  either  side  of  the  trace  road,  but  the  town  has  built  more  toward 

528 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


529 


the  south  as  the  B.  &  0.  railroad  passed  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  south 
of  the  trace.  In  the  earlier  years  the  town  was  called  "the  painted 
town"  because  the  New  Englanders,  of  whom  there  were  considerable 
numbers,  painted  their  houses,  and  this  gave  the  town  an  attractive 
appearance.  It  grew  slowly,  having  only  300  inhabitants  in  1855. 

Mr.  R.  K.  Park,  of  Parkersburg,  has  gathered  considerable  matter 
pertaining  to  early  Richland  county,  especially  of  the  south  side  and 
acknowledgments  are  due  him  for  this  information.  Roswell  Park 
was  a  native  of  Connecticut.  He  came  to  Parkersburg  in  1835,  entered 
land,  and  taught  school  for  fifteen  years.  He  was  a  mathematician  and 
a  scientist.  He  was  a  tyrant  in  the  school  room.  He  walked  with  a  cane 
and  crutch  and  these  he  used  to  good  effect  in  ' '  preserving  order. ' '  The 
first  school  house  near  Parkersburg  was  erected  prior  to  1840.  Some 


A  DWELLING  BUILT  OF  CLAY  AND  STRAW  MIXED,  IN  THE  SOUTH  OP  RICH- 
LAND  COUNTY.    BUILT  IN  AN  EARLY  DAY  AND  USED  UNTIL  RECENTLY 

pupils  came  six  miles  to  this  school.  The  second  house  built  in  that 
region  was  only  10  by  12  feet,  of  logs  with  the  proverbial  fireplace  and 
puncheon  floor  and  seats.  The  pupils  carried  water  from  a  neighboring 
well,  and  all  drank  from  the  same  mouth.  The  first  high  school  organ- 
ized was  in  Olney. 

CUSTOMS  OP  EARLY  SETTLERS 

It  was  the  custom  of  the  early  settlers  to  build  their  homes  in  the 
edge  of  the  woods  where  fuel  and  shelter  were  plentiful.  The  earlier 
settlers  were  from  the  slave-holding  states,  while  those  that  came  from 
1830  to  1850  were  from  the  eastern  states.  Most  of  the  foreigners  are 
Germans.  These  late  comers  had  to  take  the  lands  that  were  left  and 
though  usually  the  poorest  lands,  these  thrifty  people  have  outstripped 
their  neighbors  on  the  better  lands. 

The  early  settlers  were  a  sort  of  go-lucky  lot  and  enjoyed  life  fully. 
They  participated  in  all  the  customs  of  pioneer  life — log  rollings,  corn 
huskings,  house  raisings,  dancings,  infairs,  charivaris,  etc.  A  log 

Vol.  1—34 


530  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

rolling  was  held  in  sight  of  Parkersburg  to  which  100  men  came,  and  the 
logs  they  piled  and  burned  would,  if  sawed  into  lumber,  have  built  a 
young  city.  It  has  been  estimated  that  the  lumber  burned  in  these  logs 
was  worth  $500  per  acre  in  many  instances. 

THE  HARD  YEAR,  1881 

The  year  1881  was  a  hard  year  on  the  farmers  of  southern  Richland. 
The  drouth  was  unusually  prolonged  and  added  to  that  there  was  a 
severe  scourge  of  the  chinch  bug  family.  Nothing  was  raised  on  many 
farms.  The  chinch  bug  pest  returned  for  the  succeeding  years  and 
many  farmers  who  had  mortgaged  their  farms  were  ruined — sold  out 
under  sheriff's  sale,  the  land  bringing  from  $5.00  to  $10.00  per  acre. 
Northern  people  came  in  and  bought  up  this  land  and  organized  small 
farms  into  larger  ones,  enriched  the  land,  introduced  modern  methods, 
planted  orchards  and  made  money.  The  land  went  up  in  price,  some 
of  it  to  $100  per  acre.  The  old  settlers  that  are  left  from  the  earlier 
days  are  dazed  and  cannot  understand  it.  "The  Richland  Farm"  and 
' '  The  Simpson  Farm ' '  are  illustrations  of  the  above. 

George  Mason  was  an  early  cabinet  maker,  Henry  Holleman  was 
a  tanner,  Joseph  Bare  was  an  old  time  blacksmith  who  burned  his  own 
charcoal.  George  Eastman  was  a  cooper  and  supplied  barrels,  churns, 
buckets,  etc.  Two  doctors  came  very  early;  one  was  Daniel  Eckley,  the 
other  David  Burget.  It  is  said  they  made  their  own  medicines  and  many 
people  lived  to  old  age  in  spite  of  their  remedies.  Dr.  Eckley  lived  to 
be  95  and  Dr.  Burget  to  be  83.  Dr.  Reed  settled  in  what  is  now  Lan- 
caster Prairie  about  1844.  He  also  was  a  root  doctor,  carried  the  roots 
and  herbs  with  him. 

FIRST  INSTITUTIONS 

The  first  mill  in  the  county  was  a  horse  mill  built  on  the  edge  of 
Sugar  Creek  Prairie,  eight  miles  south  of  Olney.  It  was  built  in  1824, 
and  was  called  the  Wall  mill.  The  next  mill  was  built  on  the  trace  road 
east  of  Olney.  The  next  was  one  built  by  Barnabas  Malone  four  miles 
southeast  of  Olney.  The  first  water  mill  was  known  as  Spencer's  Mill. 
It  was  on  Bon  Pas  southeast  of  Olney.  The  second  water  mill  was  ten 
miles  southwest  of  Olney  and  called  the  Sidler  mill.  A  third  built 
where  the  trace  crossed  the  Fox  a  mile  west  of  Olney.  Before  these  mills 
were  built  the  milling  was  done  at  Beddler  mill,  seven  miles  above 
Mt.  Carmel  on  the  "Wabash. 

The  first  church  house  in  Richland  was  built  by  the  Regular  Bap- 
tists. It  was  used  also  for  school  purposes.  It  was  known  as  Antioch, 
and  stood  five  miles  east  of  Olney.  Wm.  Martin  of  Kentucky  was  the 
preacher  there.  Union  church,  twelve  miles  southwest  of  Olney,  and 
Shiloh,  west  of  Olney,  were  Baptist  churches.  The  ministers  were  Cham- 
pion Marten,  Richard  Gardner,  Benjamin  Coats,  Joel  Hume,  Richard  M. 
Newport,  Jerry  Holcomb,  and  Charles  "Wheting.  These  were  probably 
of  different  denominations. 

The  first  Methodist  church  was  a  log  structure  built  in  the  northwest 
part  of  the  town  of  Olney.  It  was  built  in  1842.  The  first  Catholic 
church  was  erected  on  Grand  Prairie  near  where  John  Achs  now  lives. 
It  is  still  used  as  a  place  of  worship.  Among  the  noted  preachers  who 
were  in  this  county  were  Lorenzo  Dow  and  Peter  Cartwright. 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  531 

THE  CIVIL  WAR 

Richland  county  was  loyal  to  the  Union  in  '61  to  '65.  She  furnished 
her  quota  of  men.  Among  the  officers  were  General  Eli  Boyer,  Colonel 
John  Lynch,  Captain  Charley  Hollister,  Captain  J.  R.  Johnson,  Major 
A.  Spring,  Colonel  John  St.  John.  There  is  at  least  one  Revolutionary 
soldier  buried  in  this  county.  His  name  was  Wm.  Richards.  He  is 
buried  at  Richland  Church,  six  miles  north  of  Olney. 

OLNEY 

Olney  is  the  only  city  in  the  county.  It  has  a  population  of  5,011 
and  is  one  of  the  most  up-to-date  cities  in  Southern  Illinois.  Noble,  Park- 
ersburg,  Amity,  Calhoun,  Claremont,  Dundas,  and  Wakefield  are  towns 
or  villages. 


CHAPTER  LXIV 
ST.  CLAIR  COUNTY 

GENERAL  ST.  CLAIR  CREATES  THE  COUNTY — COUNTY  SEAT  TRANSFERRED 
FROM  CAHOKIA  TO  BELLEVILLE — EARLY  SETTLEMENTS — GERMAN  IM- 
MIGRATION— JOHN  REYNOLDS  AND  JOHN  M.  PECK — CAHOKIA  AND  PRAI- 
RIE DU  PONT — THE  PRESENT  COUNTY  AND  COUNTY  SEAT — CHARLES 
DICKENS  AND  SON — EAST  ST.  Louis. 

There  are  many  ways  in  which  St.  Clair  stands  at  the  head  of  the 
list.  First  it  was  the  first  county  organized  within  the  present  state  of 
Illinois.  To  be  sure  the  legislature  of  Virginia  created  the  county  of 
Illinois  which  should  include  all  settlers  north  and  west  of  the  Ohio  river. 
This  was  in  October,  1778. 

GENERAL  ST.  CLAIR  CREATES  THE  COUNTY 

In  March,  1790,  when  General  St.  Clair  came  to  Kaskaskia  he  created 
by  proclamation  the  county  of  St.  Clair.  This  county  included  all  the 
territory  between  a  line  drawn  from  where  Pekin  is  to  Old  Fort  Massac, 
and  the  Illinois,  Mississippi  and  the  Ohio.  Cahokia  was  made  the  capi- 
tal of  the  county  and  a  court  house  was  constructed  which  still  stands — 
in  a  park  in  Chicago.  As  told  elsewhere,  the  territory  included  in  St. 
Clair  was  divided  in  1795,  October  5,  the  south  half  being  called  Ran- 
dolph. The  boundary  lines  of  these  two  counties  was  changed  several 
times.  By  1812  when  Madison  county  was  created,  St.  Clair  was  re- 
duced almost  to  its  present  limits.  It  was  later  enlarged  to  include  most 
of  Clinton  and  all  of  Washington.  In  1825  it  was  reduced  to  its  present 
boundary. 

COUNTY  SEAT  TRANSFERRED  FROM  CAHOKIA  TO  BELLEVILLE 

The  capital  or  county  seat  was  first  at  Cahokia,  but  in  1813  it  was 
located  in  Belleville.  The  site  at  that  time  was  a  cornfield  belonging 
to  George  Blair.  The  court  house  was  built  by  Etienne  Personeau  in 
1814  and  about  the  same  time  George  Blair  built  a  hotel,  Joseph  Kerr 
opened  a  store  and  the  town  began  to  grow. 

EARLY  SETTLEMENTS 

As  early  as  1805  there  was  a  mail  route  established  from  the  city  of 
St.  Louis  via  Belleville  (site)  to  Carlyle.  There  was  a  trail  from  St. 
Louis  to  Equality  and  Shawneetown  which  passed  through  Belleville, 

532 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  533 

Elkhorn  (in  Washington  county),  Benton  and  Equality.  Whiteside  and 
Ogle  settled  in  the  northeast  corner  of  the  county  in  1802.  Turkey  Hill, 
four  miles  southeast  of  Belleville,  was  settled  in  1798  by  Wm.  Scott, 
Samuel  Shook,  and  Franklin  Jarvis.  This  is  said  to  be  the  oldest  Ameri- 
can settlement  in  the  limits  of  the  county.  Ridge  Prairie  and  Badgley 
were  early  settled  localities  and  were  settled  by  the  Ogles,  Lemens,  Badg- 
leys,  Kinneys,  Whitesides,  Pulliams  and  others  including  John  H.  Den- 
nie,  Mitchells,  Wests,  Stuarts  and  Bennetts.  Alonzo  C.  Stuart  and 
Timothy  Bennett  fought  a  duel  in  1819.  Stuart  was  killed  and  Bennett 
was  charged  with  murder,  found  guilty,  and  executed. 

GERMAN  IMMIGRATION 

Belleville  is  now  composed  quite  largely  of  Germans.    But  the  Ger- 
mans were  late  comers.    In  1825  there  were  only  two  Germans  in  Belle- 


ST.  GLAIR  COUNTY  's  FIRST  COURT  HOUSE,  STILL  STANDING  IN  A  PARK  IN 

CHICAGO 

ville,  Conrad  Bornman  and  Jacob  Mauer.  In  1825  Governor  Ninian 
Edwards  bought  out  Personeau  and  the  site  was  resurveyed  and  lots 
were  sold  and  new  settlers  come  from  Virginia  bringing  their  slaves. 

Among  the  Germans  that  came  to  St.  Clair  county  in  the  30 's  was 
Gustavus  Koerner.  He  became  a  very  active  public  spirited  citizen.  He 
was  elected  lieutenant  governor  with  Governor  Matteson  in  1852.  He 
was  identified  with  the  Republican  party  and  held  many  appointive  of- 
fices. He  died  in  Belleville  in  1896,  at  the  age  of  87  years. 

JOHN  REYNOLDS  AND  JOHN  M.  PECK 

Governor  John  Reynolds  lived  in  the  earlier  part  of  the  nineteenth 
century  at  Cahokia  but  later  made  his  home  in  Belleville.  He  built  a 
railroad  from  the  bluffs  across  the  low  lands  to  the  present  site  of  East 
St.  Louis  in  1837  for  the  transportation  of  coal  to  the  Mississippi  river. 


534  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

This  was  the  first  road  which  was  actually  finished  and  used.    The  motive 
power  was  horses. 

Nothing  in  connection  with  the  story  of  St.  Louis  county  is  so  inter- 
esting as  the  life  work  of  John  M.  Peck,  who  lived  at  Rock  Spring  some 
two  miles  west  of  the  present  city  of  Lebanon.  Here  he  established  Rock 
Spring  seminary  which  afterwards  became  Shurtleff  college.  This  story 
has  been  told  in  connection  with  the  chapter  on  education.  No  less 
interesting  is  the  story  and  early  struggles  of  McKendree  college  at 


COLONEL  GUSTAVUS  KOEENER  OF  BELLEVILLE.    HE  WAS  ONE  OP  ST. 
GLAIR'S  MOST  HONORED  CITIZENS 

Lebanon.     These  two  schools  and  Illinois  college,  Jacksonville,  were  the 
first  colleges  west  of  the  Alleghany  mountains. 

CAHOKIA  AND  PRAIRIE  DU  PONT 

Cahokia  was  an  Indian  village  at  the  time  the  Kaskaskia  Indians 
migrated  from  near  Starved  Rock  to  Old  Kaskaskia  just  above  Chester. 
But  without  doubt  the  French  soon  made  this  Indian  village  into  a  mis- 
sion station.  At  any  rate  the  French  government  very  early  in  the 
nineteenth  century  made  a  grant  of  several  thousands  of  acres  to  the 
village  as  Commons  and  as  Commonfield.  These  common  lands  reached 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  535 

from  the  bluffs  to  the  river.  The  city  of  East  St.  Louis  occupies  the 
northwest  corner  of  these  grants.  Nearly  all  of  this  land  is  now  owned 
by  individuals  and  corporations,  but  there  is  yet  a  quantity  that  has  never 
been  alienated  by  the  village.  The  income  from  these  village  lands 
sustains  the  schools  and  probably  cares  for  the  village  interests.  There 
is  little  left  of  the  once  prosperous  town.  The  old  cemetery  may  still 
be  seen  and  the  old  church  stands  as  a  reminder  of  a  forgotten  age. 

Prairie  du  Pont  was  a  French  village  just  south  of  and  adjacent  to 
Cahokia.  To  this  old  village  was  also  given  a  grant  of  commons  and 
common  lands.  The  Prairie  du  Pont  river  or  creek  rises  just  a  couple  of 
miles  west  of  Belleville,  flows  west  through  the  bluffs  and  makes  its  way 


THIS  WAS  THE  HOME  OP  DANIEL  STOOKEY,  A  PEW  MILES  SOUTHWEST  OF 
BELLEVILLE.    IT  WAS  BUILT  IN  1808  AND  STILL  STANDS 

* 

across  the  alluvial  plain  occupying  a  new  bed  every  few  years.    It  was 
on  this  stream  where  it  flows  into  the  river  that  the  village  grew  up. 

THE  PRESENT  COUNTY  AND  COUNTY  SEAT 

St.  Clair  county  has  a  population  of  119,870.  It  is  dotted  with  vil- 
lages and  many  of  the  farmers  are  engaged  in  truck  gardening  and 
occupy  small  farms.  The  Germans  who  are  numerous  in  the  population, 
are  very  thrifty  indeed.  It  is  an  interesting  sight  to  drive  from  East 
St.  Louis  to  Belleville  early  in  the  morning  and  meet  hundreds  of  wag- 
ons and  carts  going  into  the  Twin  Cities  with  their  farm  produce.  The 
old  rock  road  has  been  completely  worn  out  with  travel  and  the  paving 
of  the  road  from  Belleville  to  East  St.  Louis  is  under  way.  It  is  a  dis- 
tance of  fourteen  or  fifteen  miles,  and  it  is  estimated  that  it  will  take 
19,000,000  paving  blocks  to  pave  this  highway. 

Belleville,  the  county  seat,  is  a  substantial  city  of  21,122  people. 
Its  interests  are  mining  and  manufacturing  and  commercial.  There  are 
a  number  of  coal  mines  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Bejleville.  This 


536 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


makes  manufacturing  inexpensive  as  far  as  the  fuel  question  is  con- 
cerned. Several  lines  of  manufacturing  are  carried  on.  As  early  as  the 
opening  of  the  Civil  war  the  old  "Belleville  Separator"  for  threshing 
wheat  was  common  in  the  wheat  producing  counties  in  southern  and 
central  Illinois.  Glass  and  bottle  factories  have  flourished,  foundries  are 
substantial  and  remunerative  forms  of  industry.  The  large  population 
produces  a  demand  for  large  and  varied  assortments  of  merchandise. 
The  schools  have  always  had  the  reputation  of  being  abreast  of  the 
times,  while  religious  and  social  life  does  not  lag. 

CHARLES  DICKENS  AND  SON 

An  interesting  bit  of  history  connected  with  St.  Clair  county  is  the 
coming  of  Charles  Dickens,  the  great  English  author,  to  see  a  real  prairie. 
In  1842  Charles  Dickens  visited  America.  He  came  into  the  west  via 


AN  UNDERGROUND  RAILROAD  STATION  IN  ST.  CLAIR  COUNTY 

Pittsburgh  and  the  Ohio  river.  He  lectured  in  St.  Louis.  While  here 
some  literary  friends  to  gratify  a  wish  Dickens  expressed  to  see  a  real 
prairie,  got  up  a  jaunting  party  to  visit  Looking  Glass  Prairie.  Fri- 
day, April  15,  1842,  a  party  of  four  teams,  about  fourteen  people, 
crossed  the  river  and  drove  through  what  was  eventually  to  be  the 
city  of  East  St.  Louis  and  seven  or  eight  miles  across  the  American 
bottom  and  over  the  clay  uplands  to  Belleville  where  they  arrived  about 
noon.  Court  was  in  session  and  at  dinner  time  the  judge  and  the  lawyers 
and  the  guests  from  St.  Louis  mingled  freely  in  the  hotel,  the  old  Man- 
sion House  on  the  northeast  corner  of  Main  and  High  streets.  After 
dinner  the  jaunting  party  proceeded  to  Lebanon  where  they  arrived 
about  4  o'clock.  Prom  here  they  passed  over  the  road  east  from  town 
about  a  mile  and  stopped  near  an  abandoned  cabin.  Here  they  ate  their 
lunch,  and  from  this  point  they  could  get  a  fine  view  of  Looking  Glass 
Prairie  and  also  of  Emerald  Mound.  They  returned  to  Lebanon  where 


HISTORY  OP  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  537 

they  remained  over  night  at  the  Mermaid  tavern.  The  next  day  the 
party  returned  to  St.  Louis  by  way  of  Monk's  Mound,  in  the  American 
bottom.  Only  two  St.  Louis  men  are  named  of  those  who  accompanied 
Dickens  on  this  jaunt — John  Anderson,  a  banker,  and  George  Knapp,  of 
the  St.  Louis  Republican. 

Sixty-nine  years  after  Charles  Dickens  made  the  above  jaunt,  his 
son,  Alfred  Tennyson  Dickens,  went  over  practically  the  same  road. 
He  crossed  the  Father -of  Waters  over  the  Eads  bridge  in  an  automobile, 
and  rode  in  a  palace  electric  car  to  Lebanon.  From  here  an  auto  ride 
to  the  edge  of  Looking  Glass  Prairie  gave  him  the  same  trip  his  father 
took.  From  Lebanon  the  party  went  to  Belleville  where  Mr.  Dickens 
inspected  the  Mansion  House,  after  which  a  reception  was  held  in  the 
Court  House.  Mr.  Dickens  was  greatly  delighted  with  his  reception. 
He  died  suddenly  in  New  York  January  9,  1912. 

EAST  ST.  Louis 

East  St.  Louis  is  the  third  largest  city  in  the  state,  with  a  popula- 
tion of  58,547.  Its  interests  are  varied.  It  is  a  real  city.  Meat  packing 
is  a  great  industry.  Railroading  absorbs  the  interests  of  thousands. 
The  greatest  mule  market  in  the  world  is  here.  The  school  system  is 
modern  and  the  church  and  social  life  is  upon  a  high  plane.  There  are 
three  bridges  across  the  great  river  and  a  fourth  one  nearing  comple- 
tion. They  ars  in  order  of  age  The  Eads,  The  Merchants,  The  McKin- 
ley  and  what  is  sometimes  called  The  Free  Bridge ;  it  is  not  complete. 

St.  Clair  has  a  number  of  other  flourishing  towns  among  which  are 
Lebanon,  0 'Fallen,  Freeburg,  New  Athens,  and  still  smaller  villages. 


CHAPTER  LXY 
SALINE  COUNTY 

PIONEER  EVENTS — COUNTY  SEAT  LOCATED  AT  RALEIGH — POLITICAL  HIS- 
TORY— CIVIL  WAR  SENTIMENT — HARRISBURG — ELDORADO — CARRIER 
MILLS — THE  OLD  STONE  FORT. 

Saline  county  was  organized  February  25,  1847.  It  was  made  from 
the  west  half  of  Gallatin.  It  is  three  and  one-half  townships  north  and 
south  and  three  east  and  west.  Its  area  is  399  square  miles  and  its  pop- 
ulation 30,204.  The  west  and  south  portions  are  abundantly  supplied 
with  streams,  the  main  ones  being  Saline  river,  Skillet  Fork  and  their 
branches.  The  southeast  quarter  of  the  county  is  very  hilly — really 
mountainous.  The  name  of  the  hills  is  Eagle  moHntains. 

PIONEER  EVENTS 

The  county  was  not  separated  from  Gallatin  till  so  late  that  it  can 
not  be  said  to  have  had  any  pioneer  history  as  Saline  county.  However, 
we  shall  mention  the  events  as  belonging  to  Saline  county.  John  Wren 
and  Hankerson  Rude  were  the  first  persons  to  enter  land.  They  settled 
near  Eagle  mountains  in  the  southeast  township.  Wm.  Gassaway  en- 
tered land  very  early  in  Galatia  township.  The  first  mill  for  grinding 
was  erected  by  Zadock  Aydolett.  It  was  a  horse  mill,  and  the  millstones 
were  quarried  from  Eagle  mountains.  Chas.  Mick  and  Hugh  Lambert 
built  the  first  school  house  in  the  southeast  corner  of  the  county.  The 
first  thresher  was  brought  into  the  county  in  1855.  Prior  to  that  time 
the  flail  and  the  sheet  were  used  to  thresh  and  to  fan  the  wheat. 

COUNTY  SEAT  LOCATED  AT  RALEIGH 

When  the  county  was  organized  the  county  seat  was  located  at 
Raleigh,  six  miles  due  north  of  the  present  city  of  Harrisburg.  In  1848 
a  court  house  was  built,  also  a  jail.  The  latter  was  sixteen  feet  square 
and  two  stories  high.  A  new  court  house  was  built  of  brick  in  1853-4. 
It  cost  $5,500.  In  1860-1  a  new  court  house  was  erected  in  Harrisburg, 
the  location  of  the  county  seat  having  been  changed  from  Raleigh  to 
Harrisburg. 

POLITICAL  HISTORY 

The  political  history  of  Saline  county  is  interesting.  Franklin  county 
lies  just  west  of  Saline.  This  was  the  home  of  General  John  A.  Logan 

538 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  539 

at  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war.  The  whole  of  Southern  Illinois  was 
strongly  tinctured  with  secession  at  the  outbreak  of  the  war.  Shortly 
after  the  war  opened  many  negroes  began  coming  into  Illinois  from  the 
slave  states  south  of  the  Ohio.  Among  those  who  gave  them  shelter  was 
Dr.  John  W.  Mitchell,  who  lived  in  Independence  township,  due  south 
of  Harrisburg,  at  a  village  called  Independence.  The  negroes  were 
known  as  contraband  negroes.  The  presence  of  these  negroes  greatly 
annoyed  certain  patriotic  states  right  statesmen  and  a  meeting  was  held 
in  the  court  house  in  Harrisburg  October  25,  1862,  to  protest  against 
the  presence  of  these  contraband  negroes.  The  Hon.  Wm.  J.  Allen  and 
James  B.  Turner  were  the  leading  spirits  in  this  meeting.  They  "re- 
solved," but  they  never  could  find  any  one  who  was  willing  to  take  the 
resolutions  and  notify  Dr.  Mitchell  of  the  action  of  the  meeting.  A  sec- 


REV.  SAMUEL  WESTBROOK,  A  SOLDIER  IN  GEN.  POSEY'S  REGIMENT  IN  THE 
BLACK  HAWK  WAR.    HE  LIVED  TO  BE  98  YEARS  OLD 

ond  meeting  was  held  and  similar  "resolves"  passed,  but  Dr.  Mitchell 
stood  his  ground.  The  negroes  were  not  removed.  Dr.  Mitchell  was 
indicted  under  the  "black  laws,"  but  the  indictment  was  stricken  from 
the  docket. 

CIVIL  WAR  SENTIMENT 

The  "Knights  of  the  Golden  Circle"  were  very  strong  and  well  organ- 
ized in  Saline  county.  Three  knights  went  one  time  to  notify  L.  J.  Jobe, 
a  Union  soldier  who  was  home  on  sick  furlough,  to  leave  the  neighbor- 
hood. He  told  his  wife  to  bring  his  gun  and  open  the  door,  and  as  he 
lay  in  bed  he  told  them  to  come  in  and  make  their  threat  good,  but  they 
never  ventured  in. 

Notwithstanding  this  anti-union  sentiment  the  county  contained  many 
loyal  people  and  kept  her  quota  so  full  it  was  never  necessary  to  run  a 
draft  in  that  county.  Quite  a  good  many  of  the  soldiers  in  John  A. 


540  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

Logan's  regiment,  the  Thirty-first,  were  from  Saline.  Company  B  of 
that  regiment  was  largely  Saline  county  boys.  Company  G  also  was 
from  Saline  largely. 

HARRISBUKG 

The  city  of  Harrisburg  is  now  an  important  center.  It  was  laid  off 
in  1853.  Lots  were  sold  and  a  few  houses  built.  In  1859  after  some 
litigation  the  county  seat  was  moved  from  Raleigh  to  Harrisburg.  It 
grew  slowly.  Dr.  J.  W.  Mitchell  was  a  warm  friend  of  the  town  and 
did  much  to  further  its  interests.  Today  it  is  a  city  of  5,309,  with  all 
the  modern  machinery  of  a  young  city.  The  coal  interests  are  largely 
responsible  for  its  recent  growth.  Its  reputation  for  good  schools  reaches 
all  Southern  Illinois.  The  city  schools  are  separated  from  the  high 
school,  the  latter  being  a  township  school.  It  is  under  the  principal- 
ship  of  Mr.  Harry  Taylor. 

ELDORADO 

Eldorado  is  a  substantial  city  of  3,366  people.  It  has  grown  very 
rapidly  within  the  past  ten  years.  It  is  situated  at  the  crossing  of  the 
Shawneetown  division  of  the  L.  &  N.  and  the  Eldorado  branch  of  the 
I.  C.,  and  the  Big  Four.  There  are  coal  interests  here  and  considerable 
business  is  done  by  wholesale  firms.  There  are  five  coal  mines  in  the 
vicinity  of  Eldorado.  These  mines,  the  railroad  facilities,  the  country 
trade,  and  some  minor  factors  give  the  town  a  large  amount  of  business. 
All  about  the  territory  surrounding  these  towns  there  are  large  areas  in 
tobacco.  In  some  places  in  the  county  there  are  to  be  seen  the  tobacco- 
drying  houses  which  gives  this  region  an  aspect  similar  to  the  Kentucky 
and  Tennessee  plantations.  Eldorado  has  a  fine  township  high  school. 
M.  T.  Van  Cleve  is  principal. 

CARRIER  MILLS 

In  addition  to  Harrisburg  and  Eldorado  there  is  Carrier  Mills,  a 
town  of  1,558  people.  It  is  on  the  Big  Four  southwest  of  Harrisburg. 
Stonefort  is  a  prosperous  village  situated  in  the  southwest  corner  of  the 
county.  Galatia  and  Raleigh  are  two  towns  on  the  I.  C.  railroad.  They 
are  good  business  points  for  business  men  working  on  small  capital. 
They  have  good  country  around  them. 

THE  OLD  STONE  FORT 

An  interesting  feature  in  this  county  is  the  old  stone  fort  which  is 
found  four  miles  east  of  the  present  town  of  Stonefort.  This  old  fort 
is  on  top  of  a  hill  which  is  almost  inaccessible.  The  walls  are  con- 
structed of  large  stones  and  the  whole  reminds  one  of  the  ruins  of  a 
once  well  constructed  fortification.  It  has  gone  to  ruin  more  or  less  in 
the  past  fifty  years.  A  town  called  Stonefort  was  laid  off  two  or  three 
miles  west  of  the  old  fort  in  1858,  but  there  were  houses  there  earlier. 
The  first  house  in  this  immediate  vicinity  was  one  built  in  1831  by 
J.  Robinson.  The  old  fort  was  there  in  the  30 's  and  there  is  no  tradi- 
tion that  seems  acceptable  to  the  public.  Some  scholarly  visitor  named 
the  ruins  Cyclop  Walls,  but  most  people  call  it  old  stone  fort. 


CHAPTER  LXVI 
UNION  COUNTY 

FIRST  SETTLERS — JONESBOKO  MADE  THE  COUNTY  SEAT — THE  WILLARD 
FAMILY — COLONEL  JOHN  S.  HACKER — VEGETABLES  AND  FRUITS — MIN- 
ERALS AND  MINERAL  SPRINGS — TOWNS. 

Union  county  is  one  of  the  older  counties,  having  been  organized 
January  2,  1818.  It  was  previously  in  Johnson  county.  The  wonderful 
resources  of  Union  county  are  yet  almost  wholly  undeveloped.  The 
great  wealth  in  the  soil  is  only  recently  becoming  known,  and  the  min- 
eral wealth  is  just  beginning  to  be  understood.  The  county  lies  on  the 
divide  of  the  Ozarks.  Cobden  on  the  Illinois  Central  is  the  highest  point 
of  the  road  in  the  Ozark  region.  Just  a  few  miles  northwest  of  Cobden 
is  Alto  Pass  which  is  the  highest  point  on  the  M.  &  0.,  and  eastward  in 
the  edge  of  Johnson  is  Ozark  station,  the  highest  point  on  the  Paducah 
division  of  the  Illinois  Central,  and  to  the  south  and  west  is  Tunnel 
Hill,  where  the  Big  Four  pierces  the  Ozarks  an  eighth  of  a  mile,  the 
only  tunnel  in  Southern  Illinois. 

In  these  hills  are  hidden  wealth  that  it  may  take  time  to  reveal. 
And  on  their  sides  are  fruit  orchards  which  yield  their  owners  thous- 
ands of  dollars. 

FIRST  SETTLERS 

Union  county  as  it  is  now  bounded,  had  for  its  first  settlers  two 
families,  Abram  Hunsaker  and  George  Wolf.  These  two  families  had 
descended  the  Ohio  to  Fort  Massac  in  the  year  1803  and  had  spent  some 
time  along  the  Cache  and  were  probably  on  their  way  to  Kaskaskia.  They 
staid  over  night  near  where  Jonesboro  now  is.  The  next  day  they  killed 
a  bear  and  a  wild  txirkey,  and  as  the  water  was  good  they  decided  to 
stay,  and  in  a  few  days  they  were  building  their  future  homes.  For 
three  years  these  two  families  were  alone  in  the  forest.  In  1805  David 
Green  built  a  cabin  in  the  Mississippi  bottoms.  He  was  from  Virginia. 

Settlers  were  coming  to  points  along  the  Ohio  and  the  Mississippi, 
but  none  others  came  into  Union  county  prior  to  1809  when  the 
Lawrences  and  Clapps  came  into  the  south  part  of  the  county  and  set- 
tled on  Mill  creek.  Other  early  settlers  were  John  Grammer  and  Wm. 
Alexander,  who  had  to  do  with  the  founding  of  America  in  Alexander 
county.  John  Grammar  settled  south  of  the  present  Jonesboro.  George 
James  came  in  1811  and  Governor  John  Dougherty  came  with  his  parents 
who  were  fleeing  from  the  "shakes"  of  the  earth  at  New  Madrid.  By 
the  close  of  the  War  of  1812  the  immigrants  began  to  come  in  large 

541 


542 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


numbers.  Among  the  new  names  following  the  war  of  1812  are  Pat- 
terson, Harriston,  "Whitaker,  Parmelia,  Butcher,  Crafton,  Menees,  Lit- 
tleton, etc.  Jacob  Lingle  may  have  come  as  early  as  1807.  James  Mc- 
Lain  came  about  1810. 

JONESBORO  MADE  THE  COUNTY  SEAT 

By  1818  there  were  scores  of  settlers  within  the  limits  of  the  county 
as  it  is  today.  The  new  county  seat  was  to  be  a  town  to  be  called  Jones- 
boro  and  was  to  be  located  on  the  northwest  quarter  Section  30,  town- 
ship 12,  range  1.  John  Grammar  gave  the  land  for  the  capitol  of  the 
county. 

The  first  court  met  in  George  Hunsaker's  house  on  March  2,  1818, 
and  accepted  John  Grammar's  gift  of  land  for  the  county  seat.  The 


THE  OLD  HOTEL  ON  THE  EAST  SIDE  OP  THE  SQUARE  IN  JONESBORO,  WHERE 

DOUGLAS  AND  LINCOLN  HELD  PUBLIC  RECEPTIONS  ON  THE 

OCCASION  OF  THEIR  VISIT  IN  1858 

town  grew  slowly.  "Peck's  Gazetteer"  for  1836,  gives  the  town  twenty- 
five  families,  seven  stores,  one  tavern,  one  lawyer,  two  physicians,  two 
ministers,  one  carding  machine,  etc.  The  court  house  was  a  frame  build- 
ing and  two  stories  high.  The  jail  was  a  brick  structure.  The  court 
house  stood  in  the  center  of  the  square  from  which  point  the  land  slopes 
away  in  every  direction. 

Probably  the  first  school  was  taught  south  of  Jonesboro  near  a  spring 
by  a  man  named  Griffin ;  and  later  the  school  was  taught  by  Winstead 
Davie  and  by  "Willis  Willard. 

THE  WILLARD  FAMILY 

The  coming  of  the  "Willards  to  Union  county  in  1820  was  an  event 
full  of  meaning  for  the  county.  Jonathan  "Willard  came  to  Cairo  in  1817. 
He  stopped  at  Bird's  Point  only  a  short  time.  From  here  he  went  to 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


543 


Cape  Girardeau  where  he  soon  died,  leaving  his  widow  Nancy  and  four 
children — Elijah,  Willis,  Anna,  and  William.  Mrs.  Willard  came  to 
Jonesboro  in  1820.  The  oldest  son,  Elijah,  was  a  young  man  when  he 
came  to  Jonesboro,  but  he  immediately  began  the  life  of  a  business 
man.  He  began  life  as  a  clerk  and  built  up  a  business  under  the  title 
of  Willard  &  Co.  that  reached  sales  of  $100,000  per  year.  He  con- 
structed the  graveled  road  across  the  Mississippi  bottom  to  the  river 
at  Willard 's  Landing.  This  point  is  almost  due  west  of  Jonesboro,  nine 
miles.  The  road  from  Jonesboro  to  Willard 's  Landing  was  the  best 
road  of  its  length  in  Illinois.  Here  at  the  landing  thousands  of  dollars 
worth  of  merchandise  was  landed,  destined  for  the  great  wholesale 
house  in  Jonesboro  of  Willard  &  Co.  Elijah  died  in  1848  and  his 
business  fell  into  the  hands  of  his  brother,  Willis  Willard.  Willis  be- 


VIEW  OF  THE  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  HOSPITAL  FOB  THE  INSANE,  ANNA, 

UNION  COUNTY 

came  very  wealthy  and  at  his  death  was  said  to  be  worth  half  a  million 
dollars. 

Willis  Willard  was  public  spirited.  He  built  substantial  houses,  both 
residences  and  business  blocks  in  Jonesboro.  He  built  in  1836,  the  first 
steam  saw  mill  in  the  county.  In  1853  he  built  a  seminary  for  young 
ladies  in  Jonesboro  at  his  own  expense.  He  brought  from  Boston  two 
lady  teachers,  and  this  seminary  flourished  for  many  years,  and  supplied 
a  very  pressing  need  of  the  people  of  this  region  of  Illinois.  "Mother 
Willard"  lived  to  be  100  years  old,  lacking  less  than  two  months.  She 
died  in  1874. 

COLONEL  JOHN  S.  HACKEB 

Another  family  that  greatly  affected  life  in  southern  Illinois  was 
the  Hackers.  Colonel  John  S.  Hacker  came  to  Jonesboro  in  1817  and 
was  identified  with  the  interests  of  Union  county  till  his  death  in  1878. 
He  served  in  the  general  assembly,  in  the  Mexican  war,  was  a  warm 


544  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

friend  of  Lincoln  though  of  different  political  faith,  was  a  forty-niner, 
surveyor  of  the  port  at  Cairo  from  which  he  was  removed  by  President 
Buchanan  because  Hacker  was  a  Douglas  Democrat.  He  was  assistant 
doorkeeper  of  the  house  of  representatives  in  1856-7.  His  sons  were 
prominent  citizens. 

VEGETABLES  AND  FRUITS 

Union  county  is  a  vegetable  and  fruit  growing  county.  In  1860  an 
express  agent  carried  to  Chicago  the  first  express  package  of  fruit  ever 
sent  out  of  the  county.  This  was  in  May,  1860.  Now  hundreds  of  car- 
loads of  fruit  and  vegetables  are  sent  to  Chicago  every  year.  Often  two 
or  three  cars  will  be  shipped  every  day  from  some  of  the  smaller  villages 
along  the  Illinois  Central.  The  road  runs  what  is  called  the  Fruit  Ex- 
press. Berries  can  be  picked  as  late  as  4  o'clock  of  an  afternoon,  be 
shipped  at  5  o'clock  p.  m.,  and  be  on  Water  street  at  9  o'clock  the 
next  morning  or  satisfying  some  epicure  in  the  hotel  at  that  hour.  The 
following  is  somewhat  the  order  in  which  the  fruits  and  vegetables  come 
into  the  market:  Rhubarb,  asparagus,  raspberries,  strawberries,  rad- 
ishes, onions,  peas,  beans,  early  apples,  cherries,  gooseberries,  peaches, 
potatoes,  blackberries,  pears,  sweet  potatoes,  winter  apples,  and  in  mid- 
winter cold  storage  apples  and  sweet  potatoes. 

It  is  no  uncommon  thing  to  find  four  or  five  thousand  barrels  of 
apples  and  sweet  potatoes  in  storage  in  any  of  the  towns  or  villages. 
The  Caspar  brothers,  living  between  Anna  and  Cobden  marketed  100,000 
baskets  of  apples  in  Chicago  in  1911,  the  growth  from  one  orchard. 

MINERALS  AND  MINERAL  SPRINGS 

There  is  no  coal  in  Union  county.  Her  mineral  wealth  is  to  be  found 
in  her  great  quarries,  kaolin  and  silica  mines.  The  development  of 
these  mineral  resources  has  just  begun.  Considerable  lime  is  being 
burned  and  silica  mills  are  located  at  Jonesboro  and  near  Willard's 
Landing. 

Many  springs  abound  and  many  of  these  have  medicinal  properties. 
Saratoga  Springs  are  located  on  the  third  principal  meridian  at  the 
northwest  corner  of  township  12,  range  1,  west.  The  story  of  the  effort 
to  make  these  springs  attractive  is  truly  pathetic.  Dr.  Penoyer  bought 
160  acres  of  land  including  these  springs  in  1838.  He  laid  off  the  town 
of  Western  Saratoga,  built  hotels  and  bath  houses,  advertised  and  waited 
for  people  to  come.  His  prices  of  lots  were  beyond  reason,  and  nobody 
bought. 

People  came  by  hundreds  from  many  states.  They  camped  out  and 
drank  the  water.  It  was  thought  to  be  wonderful  in  its  curative  power. 
In  course  of  time  the  hotels  went  down,  bath  houses  decayed,  and  today 
only  the  remnants  of  old  buildings  are  to  be  seen.  The  precious  water 
still  flows. 

In  the  west  part  of  the  county  is  Bald  Knob,  a  young  mountain  of 
considerable  note.  It  is  about  three  miles  from  Alto  Pass.  From  its 
top  a  view  of  the  country  for  many  miles  may  be  obtained. 

Perhaps  the  most  noted  political  event  that  ever  occurred  in  Union 
county  was  the  great  Lincoln  and  Douglas  debate,  which  is  described 
quite  fally  elsewhere. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  545 

TOWNS 

The  principal  towns  are  Jonesboro,  the  county  seat,  Anna  the  seat 
of  the  Southern  Illinois  Hospital  for  the  Insane  and  the  location  of 
Union  academy,  a  school  supported  by  the  Presbyterian  church.  Cob- 
den,  a  cultured  town  on  the  Illinois  Central  at  the  highest  point  of  the 
road,  Alto  Pass,  on  the  Mobile  &  Ohio,  Douglas,  a  fruit  and  vegetable 
shipping  point  and  smaller  country  villages  and  postoffices. 


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CHAPTER  LXVII 
WABASH  COUNTY 

FOUR  TOUGAS  BROTHERS,  FIRST  SETTLERS — THE  THREE  BLOCK  FORTS — 
TIMBER  AND  SAW  MILLS — MILK  SICKNESS — SHIFTINGS  OP  THE  COUNTY 
SEAT — ABORIGINAL  REMAINS — NOTES  FROM  NATURE — THE  WABASH 
AND  MOUNT  CARMEL — LIVE  STOCK  RAISING. 

Wabash  county  is  one  of  the  smaller  comities  in  the  state  in  both 
area  and  population,  the  former  being  220  square  miles  and  the  latter 
being  14,913.  The  county  was  a  part  of  Edwards  up  to  1824,  December 
27.  It  has  the  Wabash  river  on  the  east  and  south,  the  Bon  Pas  creek 
on  the  west  and  Lawrence  county  on  the  north.  The  early  history  of 
the  county  is  intimately  connected  with  the  story  of  Edwards  county. 

FOUR  TOUGAS  BROTHERS,  FIRST  SETTLERS 

The  first  white  people  in  the  county  were  four  brothers,  August, 
William,  Joseph,  Francis  Tougas.  They  settled  in  1800  where  the  river 
village  of  Rochester  now  is.  It  is  said  that  the  Indians  held  them  in 
great  respect.  The  first  English  settlers  were  Levi  Compton  and  Joshua 
Jordan.  They  settled  in  1802.  Levi  Compton  built  Fort  Compton  in 
1810.  It  had  a  palisade  and  contained  building  to  accommodate  people 
and  stock.  He  also  built  the  first  mill  in  the  county  at  his  fort  in 
Wabash  precinct.  John  Stillwell  came  from  Virginia  in  1804,  bringing 
a  negro  slave  whom  he  freed  in  1822.  Enoch  Greathouse,  a  native  of 
Germany,  settled  where  Mt.  Carmel  is,  in  1804.  He  moved  to  Centerville 
where  he  died  at  the  age  of  110.  In  1816  a  little  band  left  Alleghany 
county,  New  York,  to  try  their  fortunes  in  the  great  west.  They  came 
by  water  all  the  way  and  landed  at  a  point  on  the  Wabash  called  old 
Palmyra.  Here  they  suffered  from  privations  and  sickness,  losing  many 
of  their  numbers,  after  which  they  moved  to  different  parts  of  the 
county.  One  of  that  band,  Rozander  Smith,  now  95  years  old,  still 
lives  in  the  county.  He  wrote  with  his  own  hands  a  very  full  sketch  of 
his  county  for  which  the  author  wishes  to  thank  him. 

THE  THREE  BLOCK  FORTS 

Rozander  Smith  says  there  were  three  block  houses  or  forts  in 
Wabash  county.  One  on  Barney's  Prairie,  seven  miles  north  of  Mt. 
Carmel.  The  fort  was  sixty  by  one  hundred  feet.  The  palisade  was 
of  split  logs,  four  feet  in  the  ground  and  fifteen  feet  above  ground,  and 
enclosed  about  one-half  acre.  The  palisade  and  fort  would  accommo- 

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HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  549 

date  about  50  families  in  times  of  danger.  There  was  one  in  the  south 
part  of  the  county,  and  another  called  the  Bon  Pas  block  house,  not 
far  from  the  village  of  Lancaster.  In  the  stockade  there  was  a  well 
which  is  still  there.  In  addition  to  these  three  there  was  the  Compton 
fort,  making  four  in  all. 

Mr.  Theodore  Risley,  who  has  written  a  very  excellent  history  of 
Wabash  county,  tells  of  a  horrid  massacre  which  occurred  in  Copper 
precinct  in  1815.  A  Mr.  Cannon  came  into  this  precinct  out  of  Indiana 
and  built  a  cabin.  The  first  day  they  occupied  the  house,  while  Mr. 
Cannon  was  cutting  a  bee  tree,  Indians  fell  on  the  settlers  and  killed 
all  except  Mrs.  Cannon,  a  son  and  daughter.  These  were  carried  away 
into  captivity.  The  mother  and  daughter  were  subsequently  ransomed. 

TIMBER  AND  SAW  MILLS 

Wabash  county  was  quite  heavily  covered  with  timber,  and  the  early 
settlers  were  accustomed  to  all  of  the  activities  we  find  among  settlers 
in  timbered  regions.  The  whip-saw,  a  thing  unknown  by  many  people 
of  today,  was  the  first  saw  mill.  Later  the  water  mill  was  installed.  The 
people  constructed  their  own  furniture  and  utensils  and  farm  imple- 
ments. Most  of  the  farms  had  to  be  cleared  and  log  rollings  were  very 
common,  and  many  thousands  of  dollars  worth  of  lumber  was  burned 
up  in  the  logs. 

MILK  SICKNESS 

Milk  sickness  was  common  in  Wabash  county.  People  took  the  dis- 
ease if  they  drank  the  milk  or  ate  butter  of  milk-sick  cows.  It  was  also 
claimed  that  the  beef  of  milk-sick  cattle  would  when  eaten,  poison  the 
system  of  people,  and  they  sometimes  died.  It  was  therefore  customary 
to  run  an  ox  or  cow  a  half  mile  before  deciding  on  killing  it  for  beef. 
If  the  brute  was  trembly  and  exhausted  and  lay  down,  it  was  not  killed, 
but  if  there  was  no  sign  of  exhaustion,  the  beef  was  killed.  The  symp- 
toms in  people  was  sickness  at  the  stomach,  indigestion,  fainting  spells, 
nervousness,  and  extreme  langour.  The  old  settlers  thought  that  whiskey 
was  about  the  only  remedy  for  the  disease. 

SHIFTINGS  OP  THE  COUNTY  SEAT 

Edwards  county,  when  created  by  proclamation  of  the  governor  in 
1814,  included  all  territory  east  of  the  third  principal  meridian  and 
north  of  the  present  counties  of  White  and  Hamilton.  The  county  seat 
was  fixed  at  Palmyra.  This  future  town  was  two  and  a  half  miles 
north  of  the  present  site  of  Mt.  Carmel.  It  was  a  very  unhealthful 
place  and  in  1821  the  capital  of  Edwards  was  moved  to  Albion.  The 
Mt.  Carmel  people  were  very  angry  at  the  removal  of  the  capital  to 
Albion  and  actually  organized  four  companies  of  militia  to  recapture 
the  records.  Albion  compromised  by  promising  to  assist  in  securing  a 
division  and  thus  create  Wabash  county.  The  division  occurred  in  1824 
and  Centerville  chosen  as  the  county  seat.  This  town  was  to  be  three 
miles  northwest  of  where  Mt.  Carmel  now  is.  The  county  seat  remained 
at  Centerville  till  1829  when  it  was  removed  to  Mt.  Carmel. 


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HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  551 

ABORIGINAL  REMAINS 

This  county  is  rich  in  prehistoric  and  Indian  remains.  There  are 
several  mounds  in  the  county  which  are  thought  to  be  of  the  Mound 
Builders  type.  From  these  mounds  and  from  other  sources  large  col- 
lections of  stone  axes,  pipes,  vases,  bowls,  etc.,  have  been  made. 

NOTES  FROM  NATURE 

Rozander  Smith  was  23  years  old  when  the  deep  snow  came  in  1830. 
He  writes  an  account  that  agrees  with  all  accounts  that  have  been  given 
of  it.  The  snow  covered  the  fences  and  people  traveled  on  top  of  it 
and  were  not  conscious  that  they  were  crossing  fences,  streams,  etc.  He 
says  some  animals  lay  frozen  to  death  in  the  snow  and  that  the  carcass 
was  well  preserved  in  the  spring  and  the  flesh  eaten.  He  also  says  that 
the  Indians  who  were  in  that  region  had  a  tradition  that  seventy-five 
years  before,  another  deep  snow  came  and  that  animals  and  people  suf- 
fered as  did  those  of  1830. 

In  1877  a  cyclone  passed  over  Mt.  Carmel  and  almost  swept  the 
town  away.  The  court  house  was  blown  down,  much  property  destroyed 
and  eighteen  lives  lost.  The  county  had  suffered  so  heavily  that  the 
general  assembly  appropriated  $15,000  to  compensate  the  county  and 
individuals. 

THE  WABASH  AND  MOUNT  CARMEL 

The  Wabash  is  an  interesting  stream.  It  has  had  so  much  history. 
One  thing  that  is  interesting  now  is  the  Grand  Rapids  dam.  This  is  a 
piece  of  government  work,  and  is  located  about  two  and  a  half  or  three 
miles  above  Mt.  Carmel.  It  contains  locks  and  furnishes  the  best  fishing 
place  on  the  Wabash.  The  dam  is  1,100  feet  long  and  eight  feet  high. 
It  was  built  at  a  cost  of  $340,000. 

Another  thing  is  interesting.  That  is  pearl  fishing  along  the  Wabash. 
More  than  a  million  dollars  worth  of  pearl  has  been  taken  from  the 
Wabash  in  its  course  along  this  county. 

Mt.  Carmel  is  a  city  of  6,934  inhabitants.  The  railroad  shops  of 
the  Big  Four  are  located  here  and  have  a  payroll  of  $54,000  per  month. 
A  railroad  bridge  spans  the  Wabash  and  ferries  accommodate  the  general 
public. 

LIVE  STOCK  RAISING 

Considerable  attention  is  given  to  stock  raising.  For  1,092  farms 
reporting  domestic  animals  the  value  was  placed  at  $870,786.  This 
gives  about  $870  as  an  average  for  the  value  of  stock  per  farm.  This 
appears  small  in  comparison  with  most  counties,  but  more  than  half  of 
the  1,092  farms  reporting  contain  less  than  100  acres.  There  is  a  stock 
breeders  association  and  interest  in  pure-blooded  live  stock  is  growing. 


CHAPTER  LXVIII 
WASHINGTON  COUNTY 

COUNTY    SEAT    CONTENTIONS — NASHVILLE    FINALLY    SELECTED — COURT 
HOUSES — CITY  OF  NASHVILLE — MINOR  TOWNS. 

This  is  an  agricultural  county  lying  north  of  Perry,  west  of  Jefferson, 
south  of  Clinton,  and  east  of  St.  Glair.  It  has  no  mines  of  any  kind, 
is  not  a  timbered  county  and  has  few  manufacturing  interests.  The 
Kaskaskia  washes  the  northwestern  side  of  the  county  and  there  are 
some  streams  in  that  quarter  of  fair  size.  More  or  less  timber  abounds 
along  the  Kaskaskia  and  its  tributaries.  The  county,  apart  from  the 
territory  adjacent  to  the  Kaskaskia,  is  largely  prairie  rather  poorly 
drained,  and  with  a  soil  similar  to  that  of  most  of  the  counties  in  South- 
ern  Illinois.  The  value  per  acre  of  farm  lands  including  buildings  is 
$34.02.  Out  of  4,285  farms  reporting,  2,752  are  of  less  area  than  100 
acres. 

The  county  was  organized  in  1818,  January  2.  The  territory  was, 
prior  to  its  organization,  a  portion  of  St.  Clair  county.  There  were  few 
people  in  the  new  county  at  the  time  of  its  organization,  for  in  1820 
there  were  only  1,517  inhabitants  in  the  entire  county. 

COUNTY  SEAT  CONTENTIONS 

The  story  of  the  location  of  the  county  seat  is  an  interesting  one. 
Jacob  Thurman,  Reuben  Middleton,  Leaven  Maddux  were  authorized 
to  locate  the  county  seat.  They  met  March  2,  1818,  in  the  home  of 
James  Bankson,  who  lived  on  Ashley  creek.  Mr.  Bankson's  home  was 
near  what  is  now  Clinton  county.  They  deliberated  and  finally  located 
it  on  the  Kaskaskia  ten  miles  north  and  west  of  the  present  city  of 
Nashville.  There  was  no  town  there  but  the  town  to  be  was  to  be  called 
Covington.  The  custom  at  that  time  was  to  ask  of  the  owner  of  the  land 
where  a  county  seat  was  to  be  established,  twenty  acres  of  land  for  the 
benefit  of  the  county.  This  was  done  in  this  case  and  on  July  13,  1818, 
the  county  court  met  at  Bankson's  home  and  accepted  the  gift  of  twenty 
acres  to  the  county.  On  July  15,  1818,  the  county  seat  was  moved  from 
Mr.  Bankson's  home  to  Covington.  Here  it  remained  till  1831,  when  it 
was  removed  to  Georgetown.  In  1827  Clinton  county  was  cut  off  of 
the  north  of  Washington,  leaving  Covington  at  the  extreme  north  edge 
of  the  county.  The  three  commissioners  appointed  to  locate  the  new 
county  seat  reported  that  the  spot  selected  was  on  sections  19  and  20, 
township  2  south,  range  3,  west  "near  the  center  of  said  sections  at  a 
pole  put  up  about  45  yards  east  of  two  wells  on  section  19."  Tilghman 

552 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  553 

H.  West  would  not  donate  the  twenty  acres  and  the  seat  was  moved  to 
the  lands  of  John  Hutchins  on  section  17  of  the  same  township. 

NASHVILLE  FINALLY  SELECTED 

"When  Judge  Theophilus  Smith  of  the  supreme  bench  came  to  hold 
court  in  Georgetown  in  the  fall  of  1829  all  he  found  was  the  wells  and 
the  high  pole  to  mark  the  capital  of  the  county.  He  repaired  to  Coving- 
ton,  where  he  held  the  court.  No  circuit  court  was  held  at  Gorgetown 
though  it  was  laid  off  and  lots  were  sold.  This  site  was  about  four  miles 
west  of  Nashville.  In  1831,  after  a  great  amount  of  dissatisfaction  about 
Georgetown,  the  county  seat  was  ordered  moved.  Many  people  had 
selected  the  present  site  of  Nashville  as  a  suitable  place  for  the  perma- 
nent seat  of  justice.  The  land  belonged  to  the  government  and  no  one 
had  the  money  to  enter  it.  At  last  Robert  Middleton  and  Wm.  G.  Brown 
of  St.  Clair  county  bought  the  land  and  gave  the  required  twenty  acres 
and  the  town  was  laid  off  by  A.  W.  Casad,  a  surveyor.  The  town  was 
named  Nashville,  after  the  capital  of  Tennessee. 

There  were  no  houses  in  the  new  town  and  the  owners  agreed  to  give 
a  lot  to  the  wife  of  the  man  who  would  build  the  first  house.  The  race 
for  the  lot  took  place  between  one  Orcenith  Fisher  and  Sam  K.  Anderson. 
Anderson  bought  an  old  log  house  and  moved  it  and  got  it  done  first, 
but  the  judges  decided  in  favor  of  Fisher,  who  had  built  a  two-story 
frame  house.  From  this  time  on  houses  began  to  be  built,  and  the 
town  grew. 

COURT  HOUSES 

On  June  25,  1831,  the  county  commissioners  contracted  for  a  court 
house  with  Thomas  L.  Moore.  He  built  a  very  substantial  building  in 
the  new  town  which  served  as  the  court  house  for  ten  years.  In  1840 
the  second  building  was  erected  as  a  court  house  in  Nashville.  This  build- 
ing also  stood  in  the  public  square.  In  1855  a  third  court  house  and  in 
1884  the  fourth  one  was  built. 

The  people  of  this  county  probably  never  wrestled  with  the  prob- 
lems of  frontier  life  as  did  the  people  in  some  counties.  In  the  earliest 
days  horse  mills  were  plentiful.  Tread  mills  were  found  here  and  there, 
and  water  mills  were  not  unknown.  The  first  steam  mill  was  built  in 
1831  or  '32  on  Mud  creek.  Roads  were  early  established.  The  Kaskas- 
kia  and  Detroit  trail  passed  through  the  county  from  southwest  to  north- 
east. A  mail  route  from  Kaskaskia  to  Carlyle  passed  through  the  county 
as  early  as  1810.  The  road  from  St.  Louis  to  Equality,  and  George 
Rogers  Clark's  route  to  Vincennes  crossed  the  southeast  corner  of  the 
county. 

CITY  OP  NASHVILLE 

The  city  of  Nashville  is  the  center  of  business  interests  for  the  county. 
It  is  in  the  midst  of  a  very  prosperous  agricultural  region.  It  is  on  the 
highest  ground  in  the  county,  the  drainage  running  in  all  directions 
from  the  town.  Its  schools  are  considered  up  to  the  standard  and  are 
widely  known.  Not  only  the  city,  but  the  county  contains  a  goodly  num- 


554  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

ber  of  Germans  and  this  may  account  for  the  general  condition  of  thrift. 
The  city  of  Nashville  has  a  very  noted  hotel  and  spring,  known  as  the 
Carlsbad  hotel  and  spring.  The  waters  are  considered  health-giving 
and  the  hotel  is  up-to-date  and  the  capacity  of  the  hostelry  is  always 
occupied.  At  Okawville  some  ten  miles  northwest  of  Nashville  are 
springs  that  have  quite  a  reputation  for  their  health-giving  properties. 
Quite  a  few  people  resort  there  in  search  of  health  and  rest. 

MINOR  TOWNS 

There  are  a  number  of  small  towns  in  the  county  with  local  import- 
ance. On  the  Illinois  Central  which  runs  through  the  east  part  of  the 
county  there  are  the  towns  of  Dubois,  Radom,  Ashley,  Richview  and 
Irvington.  In  another  part  of  this  work  will  be  found  a  description  of 
the  ' '  Illinois  Agricultural  College ' '  situated  at  Irvington  forty  odd  years 
ago.  In  the  south  and  west  part  of  the  county  are,  Oakdale,  Elkhorn, 
Lively  Grove  and  Okawville.  Hoylton  is  northeast  of  Nashville  some 
seven  or  eight  miles. 

Washington  county  has  eight  banks.  Two  at  Nashville,  one  each 
Richview,  Okawville,  Irvington,  Hoyleton,  Dubois  and  Ashley. 


CHAPTER  LXIX 
WAYNE  COUNTY 

FIRST  SETTLERS  AND  EVENTS — FIRST  COUNTY  SEAT — IN  THE  WARS — 
CAPT.  THOMAS  W.  SCOTT — FAIRFIELD — FARM  VALUES. 

Wayne  county  was  a  part  of  the  following  counties:  Randolph, 
1809  to  1812 ;  Gallatin,  1812  to  1814.  It  was  in  1819,  March  26,  created 
Wayne  county.  At  that  time  it  included  the  south  parts  of  Clay  and 
Richland.  It  was  reduced  to  its  present  limits  on  December  23,  1824. 

FIRST  SETTLERS  AND  EVENTS 

Wayne  county  as  it  is  today  was  first  settled  by  Isaac  Harris  and 
his  brother  Gilham  Harris.  They  wintered  in  1812-13  on  the  Little 
Wabash  southeast  of  Fairfield.  Until  recent  years — twenty  odd — a 
daughter  of  Isaac  Harris  was  living  to  tell  all  about  those  early  days. 
Her  name  was  Mrs.  Goodwin.  Bears  were  plentiful  prior  to  1820.  Bear 
skins  were  plentiful  and  were  useful  in  the  homes. 

Joe  Boltinghouse  was  massacred  by  Indians  near  Massillon  on  the 
Little  Wabash  in  1812  or  '13.  He  was  scalped  and  his  body  horribly 
mutilated.  Three  years  later  seven  Indians  camped  at  the  place  of  this 
massacre.  They  had  Joe  Boltinghouse 's  pony.  Word  was  sent  around 
and  a  posse  attacked  these  seven  Indians  and  they  were  all  killed.  One 
was  killed  by  Joe  Boltinghouse 's  dog  "Beve. "  As  late  as  1816  only 
three  "farms"  were  opened  in  Wayne.  The  people  were  engaged  largely 
in  hunting,  trapping,  fishing  and  trading. 

The  first  horse  mill  was  built  by  Joe  Martin.  He  brought  his  mill 
stones  from  Barren  county,  Kentucky.  A  water  mill  was  built  south 
of  Fairfield  about  four  miles  on  a  small  stream.  George  Merritt,  whose 
ancestors  fought  Tarleton  at  Cowpens,  came  in  1816.  By  1818  there 
were  scores  of  people  in  the  county. 

FIRST  COUNTY  SEAT 

When  Wayne  was  created  by  the  general  assembly  the  commissioners 
met  in  the  home  of  Alexander  Campbell,  who  lived  in  the  southeast  part 
of  the  county,  possibly  just  south  of  the  present  line,  in  White.  The 
act  of  creation  further  provided  that  until  the  county  was  provided 
with  a  court  house  the  county  seat  should  be  in  the  home  of  Mr.  Campbell. 

The  Borah  family  came  to  Wayne  county  in  1818^and  1820.  They 
settled  in  Jasper  township  four  miles  northeast  of  Fairfield.  They  have 

555 


556  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

resided  there  now  for  nearly  a  century.  William  N.  Borah,  born  about 
1817,  was  an  old  and  respected  citizen  of  Wayne  county  at  his  death. 
He  has  preserved  a  great  deal  of  the  early  history  of  this  region.  The 
present  United  States  senator,  William  E.  Borah  of  Idaho,  is  a  descendant 
of  the  Borah  family  of  Wayne  county. 

The  first  school  house  in  the  county  was  built  in  the  Borah  settlement. 
It  was  erected  about  1824,  had  a  dirt  floor,  and  clapboard  roof. 

Two  slave  women  escaped  from  J.  B.  Thrasher  of  Kentucky  and 
were  found  secreted  about  the  town  of  Fairfield  in  1822.  Thrasher  made 


A  GLIMPSE  INTO  A  CORNFIELD  IN  WAYNE  COUNTY 

affidavit  that  the  slave  women  belonged  to  him  and  no  one  could  deny  it, 
so  the  two  women  were  delivered  over  to  Mr.  Thrasher  to  be  taken  back 
to  Kentucky. 

IN  THE  WARS 

As  late  as  1840  there  were  five  old  Revolutionary  soldiers  living  in 
Wayne  county.  They  were :  John  H.  Mills,  Thomas  Sloan.  James  Stuart, 
George  Clark,  James  Gaston.  The  last  named  was  buried  in  the  Bovee 
cemetery.  Sloan  is  also  buried  there ;  Stuart  lies  buried  in  the  old  fair 
grounds  in  Fairfield. 

During  the  war  of  1812,  Wayne  county  was  a  part  of  Gallatin  county 
and  the  settlers  were  just  beginning  to  come  into  Wayne.  But  many 
men  who  enlisted  from  the  Wabash  territory  were  later  residents  of 
Wayne.  In  the  Blackhawk  war  Wayne  furnished  two  companies.  They 
were  Capt.  James  N.  Clark's  and  Capt.  Berryman  G.  Wells'  companies. 
These  two  companies  belonged  to  the  first  brigade  of  the  Third  regiment. 
These  two  companies  were  in  the  entire  campaign  from  Dixon's  ferry 
to  Bad  Axe. 

In  the  Mexican  war  Wayne  furnished  one  company.  This  was  Com- 
pany F,  Third  regiment.  The  captain  was  John  A.  Campbell.  This 
regiment  was  commanded  by  Col.  Ferris  Foreman. 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  557 

In  the  Civil  war  Wayne  did  her  full  duty,  but  space  forbids  an 
attempt  to  speak  fully  of  her  patriotic  citizens.  Wayne  furnished  twelve 
full  companies  in  the  Civil  war. 

CAPT.  THOMAS  W.  SCOTT 

An  interesting  bit  of  Wayne  county  history  is  the  part  Capt.  Thomas 
W.  Scott  played  in  the  closing  scenes  of  the  war.  Capt.  Scott  lived  in 
Olney  when  he  entered  the  service  but  lived  in  Fairfield  many  years 
after  the  war  was  over.  The  records  of  the  war  department  show  the 
following : 

"MACON,  Ga.,  May  12,  1865,  11  o'clock  a.  m.— Hon.  Edwin  M.  Stan- 
ton,  Secretary  of  War,  Washington,  D.  C.:  The  following  dispatch 
announcing  the  capture  of  Jeff  Davis,  has  just  been  handed  me  by 
Capt.  Scott,  A.  A.  G.,  Second  division  cavalry: 

J.  H.  WILSON,  Major  General. 

"HEADQUARTERS  FOURTH  MICHIGAN  CAVALRY,  CUMBERLAND,  Ga.,  May 
11,  1865.— Capt.  Thomas  W.  Scott,  A.  A.  G.,  Second  Division  Cavalry, 
Military  Division  of  Mississippi :  Sir — I  have  the  honor  to  report  to  you 
that  at  daylight  yesterday  at  Irwinsville  I  surprised  and  captured  Jeff 
Davis  and  family,  together  with  his  wife's  sisters  and  brother,  his  post- 
master general  Reagan,  his  private  secretary  Col.  Harrison,  Col.  John- 
son aide-de-camp  on  Davis*  staff,  Col.  Morris  Lubbec  and  Lieut.  Hatha- 
way; also  several  important  names  and  a  train  of  five  wagons  and  three 
ambulances,  making  a  most  perfect  success.  *  *  * 

"I  have  the  honor  to  be  your  obedient  servant 

D.  B.  RICHARDS, 
"Lieut.  Col.  Fourth  Mich.  Cavalry,  Commanding." 

Captain  Scott  was  brevetted  major  by  President  Lincoln  at  the  close 
of  the  war.  He  held  many  positions  of  trust  and  honor.  For  several 
years  he  was  adjutant  general  under  .Governor  Deneen.  He  died  a 
few  years  ago. 

FAIRFIELD 

Fairfield,  the  county  seat  of  Wayne  county,  is  a  city  of  2.479  people. 
It  lies  a  little  south  of  the  center  of  the  county  in  the  midst  of  a  fine 
agricultural  region.  It  is  a  good  trade  center,  has  fine  churches  and 
schools,  newspapers,  banks  and  stores. 

The  average  corn  crop  for  the  county  (census  of  1910)  was  24.5 
bushels  to  the  acre ;  average  oat  crop,  26  bushels  to  the  acre ;  wheat,  13.4 
bushels  to  the  acre ;  potatoes,  95  bushels  to  the  acre ;  hay  and  forage,  one 
ton  per  acre. 

FARM  VALUES 

The  distribution  of  farm  values  is  as  follows:  Land,  69.5%;  build- 
ings. 14.1%i;  implements,  2.4%  ;  animals,  14%.  This  shows  that  Wayne 
county  has  excellent  farm  buildings  and  first  class  farm  stock.  Con- 
siderable attention  is  being  given  to  fine  stock,  orchards,  etc. 

In  addition  to  Fairfield  there  are  several  smaller  towns  in  the  county : 
Barnhill,  Cisne.  Goldengate.  Jeffersonville.  Johnsville.  Keenes,  Mount 
Erie,  Orchardville.  Rinard,  Sims,  Wayne  City. 


CHAPTER  LXX 
WHITE  COUNTY 

ORIGINAL  PHYSICAL  FEATURES — WHITE  COUNTY  AND  ITS  SPONSOR — EARLY 
VISITORS — CARMI,  THE  COUNTY  SEAT — ENFIELD — EARLY  DAY  WILD 
PIGEON  ROOST. 

White  was  first  included  in  Knox  county;  then  it  became  a  part  of 
Randolph;  then  of  Gallatin;  then  it  was  organized  on  the  9th  of 
December,  1815,  and  included  beside  its  own  territory  that  of  Hamilton, 
Franklin  and  part  of  Jefferson.  It  is  now  bounded  on  the  south  by 
Gallatin,  on  the  west  by  Hamilton,  on  the  north  by  Wayne  and  Edwards, 
and  on  the  east  by  theWabash  river. 

Its  area  is  507  square  miles  and  its  population  is  23,052.  It  has  but 
one  large  town  or  city  and  that  is  Carmi,  but  it  has  a  host  of  smaller 
towns.  It  has  the  Wabash  on  the  east,  the  Little  Wabash  flowing  from 
north  to  south  through  its  center,  and  Skillett  Fork  coming  into  the 
county  from  the  northwest.  In  addition  there  are  smaller  tributaries 
to  these  larger  streams,  and  thus  the  county  is  abundantly  supplied  with 
water  courses.  This  fact  may  account  for  the  early  settlement  of  the 
county. 

ORIGINAL  PHYSICAL  FEATURES 

• 

When  the  whites  came  to  this  county  it  was  heavily  timbered.  The 
growths  were  oaks,  hickory,  walnut,  hackberry,  elm,  ash  and  poplar. 
There  were,  however,  considerable  prairie  area.  Peck  gives  three — Big, 
Burnt,  and  Seven  Mile.  Big  Prairie  lay  between  the  Little  and  the  Big 
Wabash.  It  was  nearly  circular  and  about  three  miles  in  diameter.  In 
1836  this  prairie  was  all  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  the  soil  being 
sandy  and  of  great  fertility.  Burnt  Prairie  lay  in  the  northwestern  part 
of  White  and  extended  into  Wayne.  This  prairie  also  was  circular,  two 
miles  across,  and  had  rich  soil  and  many  settlers  in  1836.  Seven  Mile 
Prairie  was  seven  miles  west  of  Carmi. 

Carmi  is  reported  in  Peck  to  be  a  flourishing  town  of  four  stores, 
a  saw  and  flour  mill  combined,  a  neat  brick  court  house  forty  feet 
square,  two  stories  high,  and  neatly  finished.  There  were  fifty  families, 
two  lawyers  and  three  doctors.  In  1820  the  population  of  the  county 
was  4,828. 

WHITE  COUNTY  AND  ITS  SPONSOR 

From  the  earliest  days  White  was  intimately  associated  with  Gallatin 
on  the  south.  In  the  Indian  disturbances  of  1811  to  1814  Gallatin 

558 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  559 

county  furnished  a  number  of  prominent  men.  At  that  time  Gallatin  in- 
cluded parts  or  all  of  a  dozen  counties  in  that  quarter,  and  so  it  happens 
that  often  when  we  read  of  men  from  Gallatin  we  forget  that  credit 
ought  to  be  given  to  other  counties. 

Isaac  "White,  a  prominent  public  spirited  man  who  was  in  charge 
of  the  salt  works  at  Equality  up  to  1811,  was  intimately  associated  with 
what  is  now  "White  county.  Isaac  White  was  a  personal  friend  of  Gen. 
Harrison  and  it  thus  happened  that  Harrison  was  anxious  to  have  "White 
accompany  him  on  his  expedition  against  Tecumseh's  forces  in  1811. 
This  Captain  "White  did  and  was  killed  in  the  battle  of  Tippecanoe. 
This  was  a  great  loss  to  Illinois  and  especially  to  the  southeastern  section 
of  the  state.  The  general  assembly  named  "White  county  in  memory 
of  Captain  Isaac  White. 

EARLY  VISITORS 

In  1817  Morris  Birkbeck  made  his  first  visit  to  the  territory  of  Illi- 
nois. He  did  not  come  by  water  to  the  Illinois  country,  but  overland. 
On  the  morning  of  July  26,  1817,  he  breakfasted  at  New  Harmony, 
Indiana,  which  is  some  ten  or  twelve  miles  northeast  of  Carmi.  He 
crossed  the  Wabash  and  started  west,  and  seven  miles  out  he  came  into 
Big  Prairie,  which  was  the  first  prairie  he  had  seen.  He  stopped  at  the 
home  of  Mr.  Williams.  The  White  county  militia  were  having  "muster." 
There  were  thirty  men  present,  but  only  twenty  guns.  The  great  fields 
of  corn  were  very  attractive  to  Birkbeck.  He  says  the  Big  Prairie  had 
been  settled  about  four  or  five  years  when  he  was  there.  On  August  1 
he  was  at  Bagley's,  which  was  at  the  present  Emma  post  office  on  the 
Little  Wabash.  From  here  he  went  north  and  west.  He  crossed 
Skillett  Fork  at  a  shoal.  He  speaks  disparagingly  of  the  country  about 
Skillett  Fork.  On  August  2  he  had  reached  the  edge  of  Seven  Mile 
Prairie  on  his  way  over  to  the  English  Prairie. 

Ferdinand  Ernest,  a  German  traveler,  was  in  Carmi  in  July,  1819. 
He  describes  the  road  from  the  mouth  of  Little  Wabash  to  Carmi  as  a 
delightful  ride.  He  says  the  effects  of  the  terrible  storm  or  cyclone 
which  passed  through  the  county  from  west  to  east,  between  Carmi  and 
New  Haven  in  1813,  could  be  plainly  seen. 

CARMI,  THE  COUNTY  SEAT 

Carmi,  the  county  seat  of  White  county,  is  a  city  of  2,883  people. 
It  occupies,  very  nearly,  the  geographical  center  of  the  county.  It  was 
laid  off  by  Lowry  Hay  in  November,  1816.  The  town  grew  slowly.  It 
was  several  years  before  the  court  house  was  completed.  The  first  court 
house  was  demolished  in  a  storm  in  1824  and  it  was  four  years  before 
another  was  built.  The  last  court  house  is  a  magnificent  building  for  a 
small  city.  The  city  is  well  provided  with  all  modern  improvements. 
The  city  is  located  on  the  west  side  of  the  Little  Wabash  and  its  growth 
must  be  in  one  general  direction — away  from  the  river.  Carmi  is  a 
railroad  center  of  some  importance.  It  is  the  junction  of  the  Louisville 
&  Nashville  and  the  Big  Four.  Carmi  formerly  had  the  shops  of  the 
Louisville  &  Nashville,  but  these  were  moved  up  to  Mt.  Carmel  and 
this  has  been  an  unfortunate  thing  for  Carmi. 


560  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

Mr.  W.  D.  Hay,  who  has  given  a  good  deal  of  attention  to  the 
matter  of  local  history,  is  to  be  given  credit  for  collecting  matter  about 
the  early  schools,  etc.,  which  follows. 

The  first  school  house  in  Carmi  was  a  log  house  and  stood  in  what  is 
now  R.  F.  Stewart's  pasture.  General  Ed.  Baker,  who  was  killed  at  the 
battle  of  Ball's  Bluff  in  1861,  was  a  teacher  in  that  school  house.  Judge 
William  "Wilson,  Dr.  Josiah  Stewart,  and  General  James  Ratcliff  started 
a  private  school  near  Carmi,  in  which  Hon.  Charles  Devens,  attorney 
general  in  Garfield's  cabinet,  was  a  teacher.  A  school  was  taught  by  a 
Mr.  Taylor  in  a  small  log  house  erected  for  a  dwelling  at  a  point  between 
Liberty  and  Centerville.  This  was  about  1830. 

ENFIELD 

Enfield  is  situated  teij  miles  due  west  of  Carmi.  That  locality  was 
settled  as  early  as  1813.  Thomas  Rutledge  came  in  that  year  and  built 
a  cabin.  Peter  and  James  Miller  came  from  Kentucky  in  1816  and 
settled  near  the  present  site  of  Enfield.  In  1814  John  Morgan  built  a 
cabin  about  where  the  railroad  crossing  is.  Here  he  was  wounded  and 
scalped  by  Indians  soon  after  he  settled  there. 

EARLY-DAT  WILD  PIGEON  ROOST 

Mr.  Hay  has  written  an  account  of  a  wild  pigeon  roost  in  White 
county  that  will  preserve  a  bit  of  local  history  to  posterity.  In  an  early 
day,  probably  from  1840  to  1870,  the  wild  pigeon  was  a  semi-annual 
visitor  to  many  localities  in  Illinois.  The  writer  remembers  a  wild 
pigeon  roost  in  Greene  county  just  after  the  Civil  war.  In  White  county 
there  was  one  roost  just  at  the  south  edge  of  White,  a  few  miles  west  of 
New  Haven ;  another  a  short  distance  northwest  of  the  town  of  Enfield. 
The  latter  was  the  larger  and  the  one  used  the  longer.  In  the  spring 
of  the  year  the  pigeons  would  go  north  to  rear  their  young.  In  the  fall 
they  would  return  in  great  swarms  that  blackened  the  sun.  They  would 
feed  on  the  acorns  and  other  mast  through  the  day  and  late  in  the 
afternoon  they  would  begin  to  gather  for  the  night's  roosting.  They 
lighted  upon  the  limbs  of  the  great  white  oak  trees.  They  clung  to  each 
other  just  as  bees  do  when  they  "settle"  after  swarming.  They  weighted 
the  great  trees  so  that  limbs  broke,  killing  thousands  of  birds.  People 
came  many  miles  to  see  these  pigeon  roosts.  Many  people  would  kill 
them  with  long  poles,  hauling  away  their  "catch"  in  wagons.  The  noise 
of  the  birds'  wings,  the  breaking  limbs,  and  the  chattering  of  the 
pigeons,  could  be  heard  for  miles.  Mr.  Hay  says  that  no  pigeons  have 
been  seen  in  the  Wabash  valley  since  1874. 


CHAPTER  LXXI 
WILLIAMSON  COUNTY 

LAST  OF  INDIANS — THE  JORDAN  BROTHERS — INDUSTRIES — MEXICAN  AND 
CIVIL  WAR  MATTERS — TOWNS  IN  THE  COUNTY. 

Williamson  county  lies  in  the  great  coal  fields  of  Illinois.  This  of 
itself  would  give  prominence  to  this  county.  But  in  addition  it  is  an 
agricultural  county  of  no  mean  rank.  Its  area  is  449  square  miles,  and 
its  population  reaches  45,098.  It  has  had  an  eventful  history  in  several 
ways.  It  was  one  of  the  later  counties  organized,  namely,  February  28, 
1839.  It  was  for  twenty-one  years  a  part  of  the  organization  of  Franklin 
county. 

LAST  OF  INDIANS 

The  Indians  lingered  long  in  Williamson.  They  returned  to  trade  as 
late  as  1829  or  1830.  They  were  plentiful  between  1800  and  1812. 
The  Shawnees  lived  over  on  the  Wabash,  and  the  Kaskaskias  about  the 
Mississippi.  Williamson  county  was  neutral  territory — or  perhaps  better, 
common  ground.  "Wigwams  were  still  on  Carl  Graves'  farm  in  1820, 
and  on  Hugh  Parks'  farm  as  late  as  1829  there  were  traces  of  camps." 
In  1811,  when  Tecumseh  started  south  to  solicit  aid  from  the  Indians 
in  that  section,  he  was  accompanied  by  twelve  warriors.  They  came 
through  Williamson  county  and  were  talked  to  by  John  Phelps,  who 
lived  south  and  west  of  Marion. 

Colonel  George  Rogers  Clark  came  through  Williamson  county  with 
his  patriot  army  in  1778.  He  entered  at  the  middle  of  section  34,  T.  10, 
south,  R.  2,  east,  at  a  place  now  known  as  Pulley's  Mill.  From  here 
he  went  almost  due  north  to  old  Bainbridge,  thence  westward  through 
Crainville,  and  thence  into  Jackson  county. 

THE  JORDAN  BROTHERS 

The  Jordans,  who  built  the  Jordan  fort  or  stockade  in  southern 
Franklin,  came  about  1804.  One  of  these  seven  brothers  settled  on 
the  south  side  of  the  future  dividing  line  between  the  two  counties.  It 
is  claimed  that  the  brother  Frank,  who  settled  in  Williamson,  also  built 
a  stockade  in  the  northeast  township,  in  the  county  of  Williamson. 
Other  settlers  and  their  dates  are  as  follows:  John  Phelps,  on  Phelps' 
Prairie  near  Marion ;  Jay  and  McClure  at  the  Odum  Ford ;  Joseph  and 
Thomas  Griffith  at  Ward's  Mill;  William  Donald  on  the  Hill  place;  John 
Maneece  and  son  James.  Phelps'  Prairie.  These  settlers,  which  were 

Vol.  1—36 

561 


562 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


south  and  west  of  the  present  city  of  Marion,  built  a  block  house  on  the 
John  Davis  place,  west  of  Marion.     These  all  came  in  1811. 

In  the  next  year  settlers  came  to  the  region  of  the  Jordans  and  to  the 
south  side  of  the  county.  Quite  a  few  people  came  to  the  county  in 
1816  and  1817.  In  the  year  1820  a  colored  man  settled,  by  the  name 
of  Wadkins.  It  is  said  nearly  all  the  first  settlers  were  from  Tennessee, 
and  previously  from  Virginia  and  the  Carolinas. 

INDUSTRIES 

Mills  for  grinding  are  landmarks  in  a  pioneer  country.  The  order 
of  evolution  of  the  mill  seems  to  be,  first,  the  mortar,  next  the  hand  mills, 
then  horse  mills,  tread  mills,  water  mills  and  steam  mills.  The  first 


SUNNYSIDE  COAL  MINE,  HERRIN,  WILLIAMSON  COUNTY 

horse  mill  was  erected  in  1817  on  the  north  edge  of  Phelps'  Prairie  by 
Ragsdale  Rollins.  William  Burns  erected  a  cotton  gin  in  1819.  Jonathan 
Herrin  erected  a  second  cotton  gin  in  1825.  The  first  steam  mill  was 
built  by  Milton  Mulkley  in  Marion  in  1845. 

The  act  of  creating  the  county  named  Calvin  Bridges  of  Union 
county,  Thornbury  C.  Anderson  of  Gallatin,  and  Jefferson  Allen  of 
Jackson  county  as  commissioners  to  locate  the  county  seat.  They  met 
at  Bainbridge  in  the  house  of  William  Benson,  and  chose  the  site  which 
came  to  be  the  city  of  Marion.  The  town  was  surveyed  and  platted  in 
October,  1839,  by  Henry  W.  Perry. 

The  first  public  buildings  were  a  clerk's  office  and  jail.  Court  was 
held  in  the  clerk's  office.  The  first  jail  was  partly  brick  and  partly 
hewn  timbers.  It  stood  till  1882,  when  it  was  burned.  There  have  been 
three  court  houses. 

MEXICAN  AND  CIVIL  WAR  MATTERS 

Williamson  county  sent  one  company  to  the  Mexican  war.  It  was 
Company  B  of  the  First  regiment.  Its  captain  was  J.  M.  Cunningham, 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 


563 


the  father-in-law  of  Gen.  John  A.  Logan.  But  the  war  history  of 
Williamson  county  from  '61  to  '65  would  fill  several  volumes  and  only 
a  few  paragraphs  can  be  given  to  it. 

The  great  masses  of  the  people  of  this  county  were  sympathetic  with 
the  secession  movement,  but  John  A.  Logan  was  as  pronounced  in  favor 
of  the  Union.  In  a  terrible  struggle  between  Logan  and  a  very  few 
friends  on  the  side  of  the  Union,  and  the  masses  on  the  other,  Logan 
won,  and  by  the  end  of  the  war  Williamson  was  shouting,  marching, 
sacrificing,  for  Old  Glory.  When  Logan  returned  to  Marion  in  1861 
it  was  rumored  he  would  be  mobbed.  Rebel  sympathizers  flocked  to 
Marion.  It  was  indeed  a  critical  moment.  A  few  loyal  souls  came  to 
the  support  of  Logan,  among  whom  was  Dr.  Samuel  M.  Mitchell,  a  warm 
friend  of  Logan.  Dr.  Mitchell*  and  two  or  three  brave  men  stood  in  the 


• 


PART  OF  THE  BIG  RING,  WILLIAMSON  COUNTY  FAIR,  MARION,  ILLINOIS 

wagon,  heavily  armed,  while  Logan  made  his  speech.  In  front  of  this 
little  band  of  fearless  friends  stood  a  surging  mob  of  several  hundred 
dangerous  men.  "The  oratory  of  Logan  proved  contagious  and  in  a 
short  time  he  was  holding  the  audience  spellbound.  Soon  they  began 
to  cheer,  and  when  he  finished  they  rushed  upon  the  speaker  and  carried 
him  off  in  triumph  on  their  shoulders."  Of  that  mob  of  a  thousand  men 
or  more,  all  became  loyal  friends  of  the  Black  Eagle. 

Doctor  Mitchell  enlisted  as  surgeon,  but  was  never  mustered,  because 
he  was  the  only  doctor  for  many  miles  in  his  community — Corinth.  He 
cared  for  the  families  of  those  who  went  to  the  front  and  treated  the 
sick  and  wounded  soldiers  who  were  sent  back  home.  His  life  was 
threatened  by  the  "Knights  of  the  Golden  Circle,"  and  on  two  special 
occasions  he  saved  his  life  only  by  traveling  through  by-paths  in  the 
woods.  He  had  three  or  four  brothers  who  were  loyal  Union  men  and 
with  their  counsel  and  help  he  was  always  able  to  thwart  the  designs 
of  the  enemies  of  his  country.  His  son,  Dr.  H.  C.  Mitchell,  is  now  a 
prominent  surgeon  of  Carbondale. 


564  HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS 

TOWNS  IN  THE  COUNTY 

Marion  is  not  the  oldest  town  in  the  county,  though  the  largest  and 
the  county  seat.  Bainbridge  was  a  village  as  early  as  1818.  There  are 
only  two  or  three  houses  there  now.  Marion  has  grown  very  rapidly 
since  the  opening  up  of  the  coal  fields  here  some  ten  or  fifteen  years 
ago.  It  has  no  manufacturing  interests  of  any  importance.  A  tie  pre- 
serving plant  gives  employment  to  a  few  score  men,  and  there  are  tile 
works  which  employ  a  few  score  more.  The  chief  interests  are  railroad- 
ing, mining  and  agriculture.  The  Marion  county  fair  has  come  to  be 
very  noted  and  is  a  stimulus  to  stock  raisers  and  agriculturalists. 

Marion  is  a  city  of  7,093  people.  There  is  a  number  of  mining  camps 
or  villages  about  Marion,  where  disorder  and  lawlessness  often  reign, 
and  this  often  works  to  the  detriment  of  Marion's  reputation.  The 
people  of  the  city  are  a  cultured,  progressive  people.  There  is  consider- 
able wealth  in  the  city,  and  many  retired  farmers. 

Other  cities  are  Herrin,  with  a  population  of  6,861 ;  its  chief  interests 
are  mining  and  agriculture.  Carterville,  a  city  of  2,791,  a  mining  town. 
Johnston  City,  with  3,248  people,  beside  a  dozen  towns  and  villages  of 
more  or  less  importance.  Creal  Springs,  a  noted  health  resort,  is  some 
ten  miles  southeast  of  Marion.  It  has  famous  springs  and  one  of  the 
most  substantial  resort  hotels  in  all  Egypt.  A  Baptist  seminary  is  also 
located  here.  Crab  Orchard,  an  old  town,  is  a  few  miles  east  of  Marion. 
It  formerly  supported  an  academy,  but  it  has  suspended  and  the  build- 
ing is  used  by  the  public  school. 

Williamson  county  and  Jaekson  constitute  the  ninth  mining  district 
under  the  laws  of  Illinois.  Williamson  has  38  mines,  employing  a  total 
of  8,532  men  and  producing  5,180,971  tons  of  coal  annually. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBANA 


HISTORY  OF  SOUTHERNIUINOIS:  A  NARRA1